Maloy maintains lead in Utah US House race after recount, legal challenge looming

A recount conducted in the Republican primary for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District has reaffirmed incumbent U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy’s slim lead over her opponent. The results released on Monday showed Maloy maintaining a 176-vote advantage after the recount, as announced by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson.
The outcome of the race is yet to be determined due to a pending legal challenge from Colby Jenkins, who has filed a lawsuit questioning the disqualification of 1,171 ballots for late postmarking. Jenkins is seeking a court ruling on whether these ballots should be counted.
Jenkins has taken legal action against Henderson, the state’s chief election officer, and clerks in nine out of the 13 counties in the district. He alleges that these officials were aware of delays in processing and postmarking ballots but failed to address the issue or notify voters about the disqualification of their ballots.
The lawsuit specifically involves a batch of southern Utah ballots that were sent through Las Vegas by the U.S. Postal Service, causing them to receive late postmarks. According to state law, ballots must be postmarked no later than the day before the election.
If the legal challenge succeeds in including the additional disputed ballots, it could potentially alter the outcome of the closely contested race, which has consistently been in Maloy’s favor. Maloy, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is vying for her first full term in Congress after winning a special election last year. A victory in the primary would mark Trump’s only success in Utah this election cycle, a state that is traditionally a Republican stronghold but has not uniformly embraced his influence within the GOP.