Two new commissioners elected, along with a number of incumbents

Enough ballots have been counted in San Juan County to determine the outcomes of the November 3 general election. In the end, a total of 4,488 ballots have been counted by the San Juan County Clerk’s Office.

The blue wave that swept the nation will result in a number of changes in local government, including two new members of the San Juan County Commission.

There will be three Democrats in elected office in San Juan County starting in 2027, four years after a similar wave in 2022 awarded every position in county government to Republican candidates.

Democrat Terry Whitehat defeated Republican incumbent Silvia Stubbs in the race for San Juan County Commission District Two. Whitehat is the choice on 674 ballots (57.6%), compared to 496 for Stubbs (42.4%).

In the 2022 race for the same seat between Stubbs and Willie Grayeyes, 1,480 votes were cast, compared to the 1,170 votes counted in the 2026 race.

In the race for Commissioner in District Three, Democrat Norman Lameman defeated Republican incumbent Jamie Harvey by a similar margin, 56.8% to 43.2%. Lameman received 941 votes, compared to Harvey’s 716.

In the 2022 race for the same seat between Harvey and Kenneth Maryboy, more than 2,000 votes were cast, compared to the 1,657 votes counted in the 2026 race.

Two other close races appear to have resulted in the re-election of Republican incumbents.

In the race for San Juan County Clerk, Republican incumbent Lyman Duncan defeated Democrat challenger Daylene Redhorse. Duncan earned 2,343 votes (53.5), compared to 2,037 for Redhorse (46.5%).

In the 2022 race for the same seat, more than 5,300 votes were cast, compared to the 4,380 votes counted in the current race.

In the other close race, Republic incumbent Lehi Lacy defeated Democrat challenger Avery Olsen and will serve another four-year term as San Juan County Sherriff. Lacy tallied 2,218 votes (51.1%), compared to 2,119 votes for Olsen (48.9%).

In the 2022 race for the same seat, nearly 5,300 votes were cast, compared to the 4,337 votes counted in the current race.

When comparing the 2026 election to similar races in 2022, 4,488 ballots have been counted thus far in 2026, compared to the 5,300 ballots counted in 2022.

A new San Juan County Assessor – Democrat William McFarland – was unopposed on the ballot and Republican Mitch Maughan was unopposed for San Juan County Attorney.

Republican incumbent Logan Monson will return to the Utah State Legislature for another term as he defeated Democrat challenger Tracie Yellowman Tso.

Monson totaled 9,746 votes (58%) to defeat the 6,977 votes for Tso (42%) in the massive 69th legislative district. The two Blanding residents duked it out, with Monson narrowly edging Tso in San Juan County, and Tso earning the majority of votes in Grand County.

The deciding votes were cast in Kane, Garfield, Wayne, and Emery counties, where Monson pulled away to the strong victory.

In the race for the local seat in Congress representing Utah’s Third district, Republican Celeste Maloy defeated Democrat Kent Udell by 54,000 votes. Maloy earned 57% of the vote, with Udell, a resident of Grand County, claiming 35%.

Voters in San Juan County mirrored the statewide results in two proposed Constitutional amendments. The local voters favored Amendment A – which changed legal notice requirements – and opposed Amendment B – which would change thresholds for voter initiatives.

Voters in San Juan County also approved Proposition 7 – which will establish a one percent sales tax to support Emergency Medical Services in the county. A total of 59 percent voted for the proposition, with 41 percent opposing.

There were two unopposed candidates to serve on the San Juan School Board, including incumbents Don Mose III and Colleen Benally.

A series of unexpected challenges contributed to the delay in processing the ballots. The factors range from unprecedented flooding before and on election day, to an emergency voting declaration by the State of Utah the day before the election, to unexpected medical challenges for key election officials in the Clerk’s office.

Approximately 1,675 ballots were processed on November 11, a full week after the election. Many of these ballots were initially processed as “spoiled” after a State of Utah Emergency Declaration allowed voters to vote via electronic ballot.

Many ballots that had already been received by the Clerks office were spoiled as a result and needed to be reprocessed in order for the ballots to be counted. There were approximately 250 electronic ballots that were also counted on November 11.

According to San Juan County Clerk Lyman Duncan, a handful of ballots still need to be “cured” by the election office before they are counted. The curing process requires ballot review on a case-by-case basis to clarify items such as missing signatures. These ballots are unlikely to change the outcome of any of the races.

Voters who are concerned about their ballots can use “Track Your Ballot” to verify if their vote has been counted. A number of area voters reported that their ballots were not showing up as counted, including many who mailed in the ballots long before election day. Many of these ballots are now listed as counted.

You can check your ballot status by registering at trackmyballot.utah.gov.