Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Democrats Jake Fitisemanu and Rosalba Dominguez are offering victory comments in their close races for the Utah House.
- Republican Jill Koford has added to her lead in the District 10 contest and is potentially on track to flip the seat from Democratic hands.
- The overall Republican/Democrat split in the House will remain 61-14 if current trends continue.
SALT LAKE CITY — Two of the three leaders in the closest Utah House races — both of them Democrats — are offering victory comments a week after Election Day, while the third is awaiting additional returns.
Democrats Jake Fitisemanu and Rosalba Dominguez, who are leading in the District 30 and 35 Utah House races, respectively, are offering winners' statements. Republican Jill Koford, the challenger in the race for the District 10 Utah House seat, is leading and expressed optimism about her prospects but isn't yet declaring victory.
At any rate, presuming the current vote trends continue, the Republican/Democrat split in the House will stay 61-14. Fitisemanu's win over GOP contender Fred Cox would be a gain for Democrats as the seat is now held by a Republican, Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner, who didn't seek reelection to the post. That would be neutralized, however, if Koford holds on and defeats Democratic incumbent Rep. Rosemary Lesser, turning that seat from blue to red.
The races for the District 10, 30 and 35 House seats have been the closest of the 75 House contests this cycle, but clarity seems to be emerging, even if the totals aren't yet official and even as a few more votes trickle in. The District 30 and 35 seats serve portions of Salt Lake County while District 10 covers portions of Ogden and South Ogden in Weber County.
Lesser, finishing her second term, led Koford after the totals released on Nov. 5. But with ballots counted since then, Koford took the the lead last Thursday and has added to it. Lesser is the only Democratic legislator from outside Salt Lake County. Fitisemanu and Dominguez have led in their races since initial totals were released on Nov. 5, but the GOP contenders initially chipped away at the leads as subsequent votes were tallied before the Democrats again surged ahead.
Here are the latest numbers from the state as of early Tuesday afternoon:
District 10: Koford had 7,747 votes, 50.9% of the total, to 7,481 for Lesser, 49.1%. That represents a slight widening of the edge for Koford since totals were released last Thursday.
"We're hopeful we're just waiting for the official results," said Koford, who unsuccessfully challenged Lesser in 2022.
District 30: Fitisemanu, a member of the West Valley City Council, had 7,073 votes, 52.5% of the total, to 6,403, 47.5%, for Cox, a former state legislator.
Fitisemanu offered winner's comments in a statement Tuesday that also noted he would join Veronica Mauga, on track to win in the District 31 Utah House race, as the first Samoan Americans elected to the Utah House.
"This is a historic moment for our community and for Utah. I am honored to bring the voice and values of the Pacific Islander community to the Legislature, and I am committed to advancing policies that promote health and opportunity for all Utahns," Fitisemanu said.
While Mauga, also a Democrat, would become the first-ever female Samoan American elected to a legislative post in the continental United States, Fitisemanu would be the second male to garner such honors after a lawmaker in Idaho. Samoans have lived in Utah dating to 1896, Fitisemanu said, and the results from the voting in his and Mauga's races reflect that "we're stepping into all sectors of society, including civic engagement and politics."
In flipping the District 30 seat from Republican to Democrat, Fitisemanu said voters look to candidates who are "an integral part of the community and have the community's best interests at heart," regardless of party affiliation.
District 35: Dominguez, a member of the Murray City Council, had 8,785 votes, 51.7% of the total, compared to 8,197, 48.3%, for Republican hopeful Mike Bird. Rep. Mark Wheatley, a Democrat, now holds the post but didn't run for reelection this cycle.
She attributed her success to her aggressive door-to-door campaigning and her focus on transparency. Bird conceded the race in an Instagram post last Friday. "Let's chat about how we can continue to support our community and its many needs. We are strongest when we work together," Dominguez said in victory comments in a Facebook post last Friday.
Dominguez would become the fourth Latina lawmaker in the Utah Legislature, she said, after Reps. Angela Romero and Ashlee Matthews and Sen. Luz Escamilla. All four women are Democrats.
