Anderson defeats Cullimore in Sandy state Senate race

Democrat Shana Anderson won 14,734 votes, or 57%, to Republican Kirk Cullimore's 11,100 votes, or 43%, in the Utah State Senate District 19 race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with all reporting units counted, according to unofficial results from Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections. Anderson led by 3,634 votes, a margin of 14 percentage points. The result unseats Cullimore, the Senate majority leader, who was seeking a third term representing the district that spans Sandy, Draper and reaches up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta.

What was at stake

District 19's seat in the state Senate carries weight on taxes, zoning, education funding and transportation decisions that affect Sandy residents directly.

The key issues:

• Housing affordability: Anderson, an economist, called for discouraging corporate ownership of single-family homes and changing tax policy to favor owner-occupied homeownership. Cullimore said he backed six years of income tax cuts and supported giving cities tools to bring more housing options online without mandates, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
• Education funding: Anderson said the Legislature should restore education funding from income taxes to reduce property-tax burdens on local homeowners. Cullimore said he wanted to ensure that more than $2.3 billion in increased school funding since 2021 reaches classrooms and teacher pay.
• Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola: Anderson opposed the proposed gondola, calling enhanced busing the more fiscally responsible choice for the district.

The result means Sandy-area residents will send a Democrat to the state Senate for the first time in this district's recent history, replacing a Republican leader who had been mentioned as a candidate for Senate president.

A little history

Cullimore, a lawyer, was first elected to the Utah State Senate in 2018, winning the District 9 general election with 65% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia. He rose to assistant Republican whip and then Senate majority leader. KUER reported that Cullimore was one name floated to replace outgoing Senate President Stuart Adams.

Anderson, a U.S. Army veteran with a master's degree in applied economics from Utah State University, said she entered the race because of the Legislature's actions on teachers, the Tribune reported. Utah Politics News rated the race "Lean Republican" before Election Day and noted the fundraising gap was steep: Cullimore had more than $200,000 on hand, while Anderson had about $1,300.

Anderson's 14-point win far exceeded the few-point margin that Utah Politics News said would signal a real Democratic surge.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the county canvass is complete. Counties must finish the canvass no later than Nov. 17, according to Democracy Sentry. The state board of canvassers meets Nov. 23 to canvass state results, and the lieutenant governor then issues certificates.

Under Utah law, a candidate may request a state-funded recount when the margin is 0.25% or less of total votes cast. Anderson's margin of 14 points is well beyond that threshold.

Election results: Utah State Senate - District 19 (Utah General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 9:05 p.m. MST. Reporting: 2 of 2. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.