Oates Wins Utah House Seat; Maynes Takes County Council
Democrats Liz Oates and Luke Maynes won unofficial races over Republican-held seats, both backed by LGBTQ-focused groups.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
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Democrat Liz Oates defeated Republican incumbent Rep. Anthony Loubet in Utah House District 27 by 2,057 votes, about 27.5 percentage points. Democrat Luke Maynes won Salt Lake County Council District 3 over Republican Mike Bird by 7,571 votes, just over 20 percentage points; results are unofficial and ballots were still being counted.
Why it matters
Preliminary returns suggest Democrats could take control of the Salt Lake County Council and that the Republican supermajority in the Utah House could be broken. Both Republican candidates have conceded, and many in the LGBTQ community had criticized Equality Utah's endorsements of Loubet and Bird.
Oates won House District 27 by 2,057 votes, roughly 27.5 percentage points, while Maynes won County Council District 3 by 7,571 votes, just over 20 points. Both results were unofficial as of reporting, with ballots still being counted.
The players
Liz Oates
A Democrat and the mother of a transgender teen, Oates won Utah House District 27 over incumbent Republican Anthony Loubet.
Anthony Loubet
A Republican state representative who voted against HB257 and for HB174, lost his House District 27 seat to Democrat Liz Oates.
Luke Maynes
A Democrat who won Salt Lake County Council District 3 with endorsement from the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, defeating Republican Mike Bird.
Equality Utah
An LGBTQ advocacy organization whose political action committee endorsed Loubet and Bird, drawing criticism from parts of the LGBTQ community.
The details
Equality Utah's Political Action Committee endorsed Loubet and Bird over their Democratic opponents, and Loubet had voted against HB257, the 2024 bathroom bill, as well as for a 2025 law on transgender students' dormitory assignments and for HB174 in 2026, which restricts hormone therapy for minors. Oates is the mother of a transgender teen, and the District 3 seat opened because Republican Council Chair Aimee Winder Newton is leaving at the end of her term; the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund endorsed Maynes.
Timeline
2024: Loubet votes against HB257, the bathroom bill.
2025: Loubet votes on a law governing transgender students' dormitory assignments.
2026: Loubet votes for HB174, restricting hormone therapy for minors.
November 5, 2026: Oates and Maynes win unofficial races over Equality Utah-backed opponents.
End of term: Aimee Winder Newton leaves the District 3 council seat open.
Political Context
The races centered on Loubet's votes on HB257 and HB174, which are part of Utah's legislative record on transgender issues. Equality Utah's endorsement of Republican incumbents over Democratic challengers drew criticism from parts of the LGBTQ community.
Utah residents in House District 27 and Salt Lake County Council District 3 will be represented by the winners once results are certified. The outcomes could shape how county and state policy on these issues is handled going forward.
The takeaway
Election outcomes in state legislative and county races can shift control of policy quickly, so tracking certified results is worthwhile for voters in these districts.
Further reading
Explore more in Utah Elections for the latest on the state's races.
Source note: This article includes information reported by QSaltLake Magazine, Utah LGBTQ Community Hub.
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