Wednesday evening, November 4, 2020
Election Updates
Ben McAdams vs. Burgess Owens Still Too Close To Call
The race for Utah’s 4th Congressional District is still too close to call. The incumbent, Rep. Ben McAdams, D-UT, has a slight edge over his Republican challenger Burgess Owens, but that lead has been tightening ever since the polls closed. McAdams has garnered 48% of the vote and Owens has 47%. That’s a difference of about 2,600 total votes. The race could take days or up to two weeks to decide. In 2018, McAdams won by just .2% after two weeks of ballot counting. Read the full story. — Sonja Hutson
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson Maintains Double Digit Lead
Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson still has a lead over Republican challenger Trent Staggs. The latest numbers show Wilson has received just about 55% of the vote, while Staggs has gotten about 42%. That’s a lead of about 41,000 votes. About 3% of the ballots went to the Green Party candidate Michael Cundick. The race has yet to be officially called. Read the full story. — Ross Terrell
Sean Reyes Wins Reelection As Utah Attorney General
The Associated Press on Wednesday declared Republican incumbent Sean Reyes as the winner in the race for Utah’s Attorney General. Democrat Greg Skordas conceded the race Tuesday night. As of Wednesday afternoon, Reyes has almost 61% of the vote, while Skordas has 34%. Libertarian Rudy Bautista garnered exactly 5%. Reyes first took office in 2013. Read the full story. — Emily Means
State
As Election Results Trickle In, Patience Is Key
The Hinckley Institute of Politics hosted a forum Wednesday, breaking down the results of the election so far and their potential impacts. The panelists’ big takeaway was patience. With the use of mail-in ballots this year, there have been questions about how quickly votes should be counted and deadlines for getting ballots in. In Utah, county clerks can count ballots for up to two weeks after Election Day, when results are certified. Read the full story. — Emily Means
Utah Breaks 2,000 Single Day COVID-19 Cases For Second Time
Utah’s Department of Health reported 2,110 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. It marks the second time in the past week the state has surpassed 2,000 cases in a single day. There are also 382 people currently hospitalized — a new record — and six more people have died from the disease. The Utah Department of Corrections reported its first COVID-19 related death of an inmate. An 82-year-old man at the Utah State Prison in Draper was found dead Wednesday morning. There are currently 269 active cases of the coronavirus after an outbreak at the Draper facility. — Caroline Ballard
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Northern Utah
Wasatch Front Business Owners Relieved With Calm Election Night
Business owners in Utah and across the country boarded up their windows Tuesday night in anticipation of election night unrest. Those included several stores in the City Creek shopping center in Salt Lake City and the Federal Reserve Bank. Despite the precaution, no major issues were reported along the Wasatch Front. Law enforcement agencies in Salt Lake and Utah Counties have said their intelligence does not show signs of future unrest later this week. Read the full story. — David Fuchs
Utah County Voters Reject County Government Change
Sixty percent of Utah County voters rejected a proposition to change their form of government. The county is currently run by three commissioners who are elected to four year terms. The ballot measure would’ve changed that to a mayor and council model and it would’ve divided the county into five districts to elect council members. Supporters of Proposition 9 called Utah County’s commission model dysfunctional and outdated, arguing it needed to separate executive and legislative powers. But opponents of the measure said changing to the mayor-council model would lead to higher taxes and less representation. — Ross Terrell
Region And Beyond
Large Cities In The West Are Growing While Using Less Water
A new study found many of the West’s biggest cities have been able to keep growing, while using less water. Cities reducing their use include Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Tucson. Brian Richter, who co-authored the study with researchers at the University of Virginia, said a big part of the savings is in switching to water-efficient landscaping. He said the findings are encouraging for those worried that the region’s population growth will lead to massive shortfalls in water supplies. — Luke Runyon, KUNC