Updated 3:52 p.m. MST 11/9/18
Democrat Ben McAdams is holding his lead against Republican incumbent Mia Love in Utah’s 4th Congressional District race after new results from Utah and Salt Lake County were posted on Friday — though not so much to declare a winner yet.
According to the Lieutenant Governor’s office, McAdams now leads Love 51.2 to 48.7 percent, or about 5,200 votes.
The latest results trimmed McAdams lead slightly but still present an uphill climb for Love, who’s seeking a third term in Congress.
The latest results from Salt Lake County, posted at 3 p.m., showed Love gaining more votes than McAdams, a turnaround that gives her campaign a boost until the next vote tallies are posted on Tuesday.
Utah County, whose elections clerk has been the subject of withering criticism over long lines and slow vote tallies, released just a small fraction of the 89,000 outstanding ballots yet to be counted.
A sliver of Utah County falls in the 4th District. But it is a stronghold for Love, who will need to perform well there to make up more ground.
The 4th Congressional District is the state’s most competitive, made up of the leafy suburbs of Salt Lake and Utah counties, as well as parts of rural enclaves Juab and Sanpete.
Although the race has yet to be called, President Trump on Thursday mocked Love and other embattled GOP incumbents, who he said had not supported him enough.
“But Mia Love gave me no love and she lost,” he said. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”
Both campaigns issued statements expressing optimism about the Friday numbers, but insisted more votes still needed to be processed.
This post has been updated with the latest election results from the Lt. Governor’s Office and reactions from the campaigns.
