AP Calls Kennedy Winner Over Larsen in Utah’s 4th

Republican Rep. Mike Kennedy held Utah’s 4th Congressional District after the Associated Press projected him the winner Thursday evening over Democrat Jonny Larsen, KUER reported. The call came at 6:43 p.m. Mountain time once a large tranche of Salt Lake County ballots had been counted, according to KUER.

NBC News results showed Kennedy with 102,417 votes (53.2%) to Larsen’s 76,709 (39.8%), a lead of about 25,700 votes, with roughly 73% of the expected vote counted. The contest was not a party flip; Kennedy, first elected in 2024, remains the Republican incumbent in a district long rated solidly Republican.

Why the call took two days

Utah’s other House races moved faster on election night: Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy in the 3rd and Democrat Ben McAdams in the 1st were called that night, KUER said. The 4th stayed open while Salt Lake County worked through Election Day ballots. County Clerk Lannie Chapman told KUER her office received about 100,000 ballots on Election Day alone. Redistricting had expanded the 4th westward into desert counties while keeping eastern edges that include West Jordan and Orem, KUER reported.

Developing: NBC News still showed about 27% of the expected vote outstanding after the Associated Press call; certified totals may shift from the unofficial Thursday figures.

Kennedy and Larsen

Kennedy ran unopposed in the Republican primary and was favored to win a second term, KUER reported. Larsen, a Marine veteran and first-time candidate who cast himself as a moderate “Blue Dog” Democrat, told KUER he ran a volunteer campaign and thanked supporters after the call. Kennedy wrote on social media that he would keep working for Utahns regardless of the national balance of power in Congress, according to KUER. He is scheduled to be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027; see also Luna’s hold in Florida’s 13th.

Sources: KUER, NBC News, Associated Press