Utah GOP governor’s race still tight between Cox, Huntsman

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Republican race for the first open Utah governor's seat is close as the coronavirus has made counting ballots more complicated.

Well-known former U.S. ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. on Wednesday is narrowly behind Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who helped run the state's pandemic response.

The crisis also shaped the race by curtailing traditional campaigning and infecting Huntsman, who recovered shortly before Tuesday's election.

Voting was done entirely by mail, which typically requires longer tally times for verification.

A 24-hour ballot quarantine also is expected to delay results.

The GOP primary is often decisive in determining the eventual winner of the general election in conservative Utah.