Oates and Maynes win over Equality Utah-backed opponents

Democrats Liz Oates and Luke Maynes won the two races that sparked the most backlash over Equality Utah’s 2026 endorsements. Unofficial results show both beating Republican candidates the group had endorsed. Both Republicans have conceded.

Oates defeated Republican incumbent Rep. Anthony Loubet in Utah House District 27. Maynes defeated Republican Mike Bird for the open Salt Lake County Council District 3 seat. Equality Utah’s Political Action Committee endorsed Loubet and Bird over their Democratic opponents. Many in the LGBTQ community criticized those choices.

House District 27

Liz Oates	Democratic	4,765	63.76%
Anthony Loubet (EU endorsed)	Republican	2,708	36.24%

Oates won by 2,057 votes, or about 27.5 percentage points.

Loubet told KSL he planned to concede. He said “initial frustration with Republicans even amongst Republicans” made the race an “uphill battle on the campaign trail.”

Oates thanked voters in a social media post.

“I’m so honored to have earned the trust and support of this community to represent you at the Capitol,” she wrote. She described herself as “a lifelong Magna resident who absolutely loves our west side community.” She said she got into the race because she was “sick and tired of our community being forgotten.”

“I’m not a typical politician,” Oates continued. “I’m grateful to the thousands of you who believed in our campaign’s message of building a more affordable and livable future for the west side.”

Oates is the mother of a transgender teen and has been an outspoken advocate for transgender rights. Loubet was one of three House Republicans who voted against HB257, the 2024 bathroom bill. He later voted for a 2025 law on transgender students’ dormitory assignments and for HB174 in 2026, which restricts hormone therapy for minors.

Salt Lake County Council District 3

Luke Maynes	Democratic	22,680	60.02%
Mike Bird (EU endorsed)	Republican	15,109	39.98%

Maynes won by 7,571 votes, just over 20 percentage points. The seat is open because Republican Council Chair Aimee Winder Newton is leaving at the end of her term.

Maynes announced the win on social media.

“I’m proud to announce that I’ll be representing Salt Lake County District 3 on the County Council next year,” Maynes wrote. Maynes said they look forward to working with colleagues “to reduce costs and expand services for County families.”

Bird conceded in an Instagram post.

“While this election didn’t go the way we had hoped, I’m incredibly grateful for our amazing volunteers, campaign team, neighbors, friends, and everyone across our community who supported this campaign,” he wrote.

Bird said his campaign “brought people to the table, broke down partisan walls, and reminded us that we have so much more in common than what divides us.” He also thanked his wife, Kim, and their four sons.

“This election was a reminder that trust and accountability matter at every level of government,” Bird wrote. “When public trust is weakened, the impact can reach far beyond any single race.”

Bird also thanked Maynes “for running a great campaign” and wished Maynes “the very best as he serves our County.”

The national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund endorsed Maynes. It said Maynes would be the “first out trans/non-binary person on the County Council.”

The wins came as Democrats appeared poised to take control of the Salt Lake County Council, based on preliminary returns.

Equality Utah responds

Equality Utah did not address the Oates and Maynes races in its post-election statement. Instead, the group pointed to wins across the country and in Utah. It cited voters’ rejection of Amendment B and early results suggesting the Republican supermajority in the Utah House “could be broken,” though it noted ballots were still being counted.

“To our Equality Utah PAC-endorsed candidates who won: congratulations,” the statement said. “And to every candidate we endorsed, regardless of the outcome: thank you.”

The group also said it would “celebrate the wins, take an honest look at what we can do better, and keep showing up.”

Before the election, PAC representative Max Green defended the endorsement process. He said “LGBTQ identity alone does not determine an endorsement” and that endorsements weigh a candidate’s commitment to the LGBTQ community, ability to build bridges and govern, campaign viability, the potential impact of an endorsement, and strategic opportunities in each race.

QSaltLake asked Equality Utah for comment on this story but did not receive an immediate reply.

The criticism of the endorsements has produced a new PAC, Reflect Utah, formed to support LGBTQ+ candidates.

The results are unofficial. County officials are still counting ballots, and they will certify the results later this month.