Mia Love pulls ahead in Utah race as judge dismisses her lawsuit

Incumbent Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) pulled ahead in her race against Democrat Ben McAdams for the first time Friday as an updated vote count in Utah County gave her a narrow lead.

Love is currently ahead by 419 votes after Friday’s tally, reversing her previous deficit of more than 1,000 votes, according to the Utah secretary of state’s website.

McAdams, the mayor of Salt Lake County, had spent the week in Washington as part of new member orientation, the Salt Lake Tribune noted.

Thousands of provisional ballots remain uncounted and Love’s current margin is well within the 0.25 percent necessary to trigger a recount in Utah.{mosads}

Love took the lead in the race hours after a judge dismissed a lawsuit she filed this week attempting to stop vote counting in Salt Lake County to allow her campaign the ability to challenge the verification process of ballot signatures. 

The two-term lawmaker was among several Republicans President Trump bashed as losing candidates following the midterm elections this month, saying they came up short in their electoral bids because they failed to properly embrace him.

“Mia Love gave me no love. And she lost,” the president said last week at press briefing. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”