Utah Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore was trailing Democratic challenger Shana Anderson in unofficial results from Senate District 19 as ballots were counted on election night. Anderson, a U.S. Army veteran and economics teacher making her first run for public office, held a sizable lead over the incumbent seeking a third term in early returns.
According to KUTV, Anderson had received 16,321 votes, or 56.74%, compared to Cullimore’s 12,446 votes, or 43.26%, with Cullimore seeking a third term representing the district. A separate snapshot from ABC4 showed a different split at 47% of the district reporting: Anderson ahead with 57.03% of the vote (14,734 votes) to Cullimore’s 42.97% (11,100 votes). A state election-results page listed yet another figure for Cullimore — 43.09% and 12,301 votes — underscoring just how fluid the count was on election night.
Whichever tally proves accurate, the direction was the same: the sitting Senate Majority Leader was behind. KUTV reported the results were unofficial and subject to change as additional votes were counted, and Utah News Dispatch noted that statewide results would not be final until after the county and state canvass, expected roughly two weeks out.
Who Is Running in District 19
Senate District 19 covers the southeast part of Salt Lake County and parts of northeast Utah County, per ABC4. Cullimore, a lawyer, was elected to the Utah Senate in 2018 and has served as Senate Majority Leader. KUTV reports that Anderson holds a master’s degree in economics. She has no prior experience in public office but has built her campaign around public education, accountability, housing, and water issues, according to ABC4.
Anderson said she decided to run because of what she described as the legislature’s attacks on teachers, per KUTV. Her military service, economics background, and classroom experience have formed the core of her pitch to voters in a district long held by Republicans.
A Bigger Fight Over the Senate Presidency
The race carries extra weight because of what else is at stake in the Utah Senate: the presidency itself. Senate President Stuart Adams lost his primary election in June, leaving the top leadership post open, and Cullimore had been positioning himself to run for Senate president if he won reelection, according to KSL.
Sen. Evan Vickers, a Republican from Cedar City, has also expressed interest in the Senate president position. Utah News Dispatch reported in July that both Vickers and Cullimore were considered likely contenders for the presidency, though Cullimore, through a Senate spokesperson, declined to comment for that story.
Part of a Rough Night for Utah Republicans
Cullimore’s struggle was not an isolated case. Utah News Dispatch reported that at least 12 Republican state lawmakers could be on track to lose reelection to Democrats or an unaffiliated candidate based on preliminary election-night results. KSL similarly reported that nearly 20 candidates in Republican-held seats were trailing their Democratic or independent opponents as the night wore on.
In another closely watched Senate race, Forward Party Sen. Emily Buss trailed challenger Brooks Benson by just 58 votes as of 11:37 p.m. Tuesday, the station reported. Going into election night, Republicans held a supermajority in the Utah House with 60 seats to Democrats’ 14 and one vacant seat, while in the Senate, Republicans held 22 seats to six for Democrats and one for the Forward Party, according to KSL’s reporting.
Results remain unofficial, and the District 19 race could affect the Senate presidency.
