Just call him “Landslide LaVar.”
In what may be the closest Utah state House election in modern times, Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, won re-election in the final, official canvas on Tuesday by three votes.
That is three votes out of more than 17,000 cast in Christensen’s House District 32.
It has to be a bitter defeat for his Democratic challenger, medical doctor Suzanne Harrison, who raised a lot of cash and spent many hours walking the Draper/Sandy district.
The final canvas count Tuesday showed what many already believed, that House Democrats picked up only one seat overall in the 2016 elections – and now will have 13 seats in the 75-member House instead of the record-low dozen they have held over the last two years.
Democrats failed to pick up any seats in the 29-member Senate, and remain at an all-time low of only five districts.
With the loss this year of Rep. Brad King, D-Price, to former Democrat Rep. (now Republican) Christine Watkins, all of the Democrat legislative seats are in Salt Lake County.
Harrison topped Christensen on the Nov. 8, Election Night, tally. But as the more than 47,000 ballots still out in all of Salt Lake County (mainly because of last-minute mail-in balloting) were counted, Christensen gained of Harrison, then passed her and held a small lead as of last Friday.
But Harrison came back in the final count, but just not enough.
Final count: Christensen, 8,537; Harrison, 8,534.
Because the final margin is less than the number of voting precincts in District 32, Harrison can request a recount. Utah Democrats announced Tuesday they would request a recount as soon as they are able.
The mail-in ballots were not hand counted but were counted several times. And a recount likely won’t change the outcome.
The final count Tuesday also showed that Rep. Sophia DiCaro, R-West Valley, did indeed lose her seat to Democratic challenger Elizabeth Weight, 4,234 to 3,994 in District 31.
The other Democratic pick-up was in retiring GOP Rep. Johnny Anderson’s District 34.
There, the final count shows Democrat Karen Kwan had 6,558 votes to Republican Macade Jensen’s 5,485.
As previously reported, Rep. Bruce Cutler, R-Murray, was behind to Democrat Christine Passey on Election Night.
But Cutler quickly caught her on the first release of uncounted votes. And the final count Tuesday has Cutler winning re-election, 7,544 to Passey’s 7,267 votes.
Christensen is one of the most controversial conservative constitutionalists
His constitutional amendment proclaiming marriage in Utah can only be between a man and a woman easily passed several years ago, but was struck down by a Utah federal judge. And later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal across the country.
The final election results, to be reflected in the 2017-2018 Utah Legislature:
- Republicans control the state Senate, 24-5.
- Republicans control the state House, 62-13.
