Mia Love has lost her chance to make history by becoming the first black woman Republican in Congress.
She was defeated by six-term Democrat Rep. Jim Matheson by less than a single percentage point in their battle in Utah’s newly created 4th District.
In the days running up to the election polls showed Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, leading by as much as 7 percentage points, but her vote did not hold. She went down by fewer than 3,000 votes and conceded early Wednesday morning.
In a statement, Love, 36, said, “Congratulations to Jim on a hard-fought victory. It was a close race, but ultimately the voters of Utah have spoken.”
She added: “I plan on continuing to work on promoting conservative issues and look forward to returning to Saratoga Springs and spending more time with my family.”
Matheson, 52, remains the sole Democrat in Utah’s congressional delegation.
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