U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy won the Republican primary for Utah’s newly drawn 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating challenger Phil Lyman by a significant margin. The victory secures Maloy's place on the November ballot, where she is scheduled to face Democrat Kent Udell.
Primary Election Results
As of Wednesday morning, preliminary results showed Maloy leading Lyman by a 67% to 33% margin, according to Moab Times reporting. Maloy, who currently represents Utah’s 2nd District, will now represent the new 3rd District, which encompasses much of her current territory and extends into southwestern Utah.
Maloy's Victory Statement
In a statement posted to X on Tuesday night, Maloy expressed gratitude for the support received throughout the campaign. She noted that the new district spans 18 counties and stated she spent many hours traveling the region to meet with voters and address their concerns.
Campaign Finance Disparity
The primary contest featured a significant disparity in campaign resources. As of early June, Maloy reported more than $1.1 million in contributions, while Lyman reported just over $28,000. This financial advantage followed a competitive state party convention earlier this year, where Republican delegates were split almost evenly between the two candidates.
Convention and Previous Races
Because neither candidate secured more than 60% of the vote at the convention, both Maloy and Lyman successfully advanced to the primary ballot. Maloy's victory in this cycle follows a much tighter race in 2024, when she won her GOP primary by only 176 votes.
County Level Voting Data
Local preliminary election data from various counties confirmed Maloy's victory over Lyman. In Duchesne County, where voters turned out at a rate of 44%, Maloy received 64.99% of the vote compared to 35.01% for Lyman, according to Basinnow reporting.
Regional Trends in Uintah County
Similar trends were observed in Uintah County. Preliminary results from that region showed Maloy earning 6ny.6% of the vote, while Lyman received 30.40%. These local figures aligned with the overall preliminary totals reported across the 19 counties participating in the U.S. House District 3 race.
The defeated challenger, Phil Lyman, is a frequent figure in Utah politics. A former state lawmaker, Lyman previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor against Governor Spencer Cox in 2024. He also recently sought the chairmanship of the state Republican party, though he fell short of incumbent chair Rob Axson.
As of late Tuesday night, Lyman had not released a formal statement regarding his loss in the primary.
Maloy brings significant legislative experience to the 3rd District. She currently serves on the House Committees on Natural Resources and Appropriations. Before winning a special election in 2023 following the retirement of former U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, she worked as an attorney for Stewart.
Her victory comes alongside other notable Republican primary outcomes reported by The Daily Utah Chronicle, which noted that incumbent Blake Moore also defeated his challenger, Karianne Lisonimbee.
The upcoming general election will determine the representative for the 3rd District this November. Maloy's path to the seat now requires her to overcome Democrat Kent Udell in the fall.
