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Stay up to date on all the latest from the campaign trail with KUER's coverage of the 2014 Mid-Term Elections.

Republican Sean Reyes Will Remain Attorney General

Brian Grimmett
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes speaks to the media after winning the special election.

In the only statewide election on this year’s ballot, Utahns chose Republican Sean Reyes to be the next Attorney General.

Sean Reyes received more than 60 percent of the vote beating out his challenger, Democrat Charles Stormont, by more than 30 percentage points. Reyes says the numbers indicate that he didn’t just win because he’s a Republican.

“There had to be a lot of Democrats and Independents who believed in our vision of returning the office back to an office, not an overtly political office, but a law office,” Reyes says.

Stormont says he learned a lot from the campaign and was proud to represent a party that stands for real ethics reform and that doesn’t fight against people’s rights.

“I really look forward to going back to work in the AG’s office," Stormont says. "I hope you don’t think that I’ going away. I hope you don’t think that I won’t continue to be in his ear and talking about real reform.”

Now that he’s elected, Reyes says some of his top priorities include continuing efforts to regain the public’s trust in the office, and fighting human trafficking.

“It’s something that not many people are aware of and those who are maybe feel like it’s only an evil that’s taking place overseas," he says. "But we’ve actually shut down a number of businesses that were fronting for human trafficking here in Utah.”

Reyes was appointed to the office by Governor Gary Herbert after former Attorney General John Swallow resigned less than a year after being elected in 2012.  State law mandated that a special election be held and now Reyes will fill the rest of that term and serve until 2016. 

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