With 80% of ballots counted, The Associated Press declared Rep. Blake Moore the winner of Utah’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary.
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Moore will face Democratic candidate Peter Crosby in this November’s general election. He is considered a heavy favorite to win reelection.
When the AP called the race, Moore had 58.3% of the vote, while his Republican opponent, state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, had 41.7%.
The district, which covers Davis, Weber, Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties, leans solidly Republican and overwhelmingly re-elected President Donald Trump to office in November 2024.
Accompanied by one of his four young sons on a video call, Moore told the Deseret News he was grateful that northern Utahns gave him another chance to continue on to the general election.
Through his campaign, Moore said he tried to refrain from personal attacks on his opponent.
“I want to be able to look back on it and say I didn’t change who I am. … I am generally a positive, optimistic person, and it’s kind of always who I’ve been. So I want to focus on record; I want to focus on the issues. Politics doesn’t need to be this way,” he said.
While he’ll have to travel during the House recess in August, Moore said he’s looking forward to coaching his sons’ youth football team as an assistant.
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“I come in and try to run the offense a little bit. … Some of the best memories that I have of my boys is when I get to coach them. I don’t know if it’s their best memories, but for me, it’s some of my best memories,” Moore said.
Early on, Lisonbee focused her campaign on Moore’s involvement in Utah’s recent redistricting saga. Before being elected, Moore served as a Republican chair for the anti-gerrymandering group Better Boundaries, which later led to the creation of one Democratic-leaning district — now Utah’s 1st Congressional District.
Though Moore said he did not agree with District Court Judge Dianna Gibson’s handling of the redistricting case, he stood by his decision to back anti-gerrymandering initiatives. He’s described the widespread practice across the U.S. as a “race to the bottom.”
In an editorial board meeting with the Deseret News, he said, “I want to be a part of it not existing.”
Karianne Lisonbee thanks her supporters
After the AP called the race on Tuesday evening, Lisonbee told supporters at her election party that she felt grateful for the campaign.
Lisonbee’s campaign manager Rachelle Morris added, “I’ll tell you what, they may have just called this race, but this is going to end up being a single race.”
“This good woman knocked 2,100 doors over the last eight weeks,” Morris continued. “So we might end up with a lower vote count, but Karianne Lisonbee knows northern Utah better than any other human on this planet.”
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Morris said it had been a pleasure working with Lisonbee.