Kennedy wins 3rd Congressional District Republican primary election

Mike Kennedy won the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary election and will run for Rep. John Curtis' spot in the U.S. House of Representatives in the district's general election on Nov. 5.

Mike Kennedy won the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary election and will run for Rep. John Curtis’ spot in the U.S. House of Representatives in the district’s general election on Nov. 5.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:14 p.m on June 25. Kennedy won a total of 24,402 votes, or 36% of the total votes counted as of that time. Case Lawrence, the runner-up, won 15,402. Over 67,000 votes were counted as of 9:14 p.m.

The 3rd Congressional District covers Provo, Salt Lake County and all of eastern Utah. Kennedy will compete for the spot vacated by John Curtis, who is running for U.S. Senate, during the general election on Nov. 5.

Immediately after the AP called the race, Kennedy expressed gratitude for his supporters on an X post. He also wrote about his next steps.

“We remain committed to securing our border and keeping our families safe, tackling inflation, reining in Washington and protecting our freedoms,” Kennedy said in the post. “Most importantly, we remain focused on ensuring that every part of our diverse district has a voice.”

The Republican primary election was decided by Republican-registered voters. Kennedy will run against Glenn Wright, who won the Democratic race uncontested, in November.

Kennedy secured 42.4% of the votes in Utah county, the most votes he received out of the 11 counties in the 3rd district. JR Bird, who received the third-most votes, won the majority in both Duchesne and Uintah counties.

Kennedy ran on a platform that emphasized economic growth, border security and reduced national spending, according to his campaign website. He was endorsed by Utah Senator Mike Lee.