Hey Vernal,

Five votes. That's the entire margin that just decided who sits on the Uintah County Commission for the next four years.

It was close enough that the losing candidate asked for a recount. Here's the full story, in plain English.

In the Republican primary for Uintah County Commission Seat B, Joe McKea beat Danny Harrell by exactly 5 votes. The final certified count was 2,437 votes for McKea and 2,432 votes for Harrell.

Out of nearly 5,000 ballots cast, five votes made the difference. That's not a typo. That's how close this race actually was.

Countywide turnout for the primary was 38%, with 4,996 ballots cast out of 13,205 registered voters.

A margin that thin gives a candidate the legal right to request a recount under Utah law. Danny Harrell used that right.

Harrell officially filed his request on July 6. The recount took place on July 9, with an audit the following day on July 10.

After the recount, the result did not change. Joe McKea remains the winner by the same 5 votes.

Harrell responded with grace, saying, "I appreciate all the support that I was given and will accept the outcome of the recount. I plan to support the candidates moving forward and to work with them to help move our county forward. Again, thank you Uintah County."

Here's something worth understanding about how elections work in Uintah County. This was a Republican primary, and in a county this deeply red, winning the primary is, in practical terms, the same as winning the seat outright. Joe McKea is now on track to become one of the three people who set the budget, approve contracts, and vote on decisions for all of Uintah County for the next four years.

That includes decisions on roads, fire restrictions, oil and gas permitting on county land, and how county tax dollars get spent. This isn't a minor local office. Three commissioners run the entire county.

The other two commission races were not nearly as close. In the race for Commission Seat A, Keith G. Campbell won comfortably with 55.81% of the vote, ahead of Randy Vincent at 29.34% and Matthew Wilber at 14.85%.

In the race for County Clerk-Auditor, Margie Shewell won decisively over Barry Johnson, 66.91% to 33.09%.

Since this was a primary election in a heavily Republican county, McKea and Campbell are both considered strong favorites heading into the November general election.

Five votes. Out of nearly 5,000 cast. That's the entire distance between two very different people running your county for the next four years.

If you didn't vote in this primary, this is exactly why every single vote counts more than people think, especially in local races where turnout is low. If you did vote, you were part of deciding this by a hair's width.

We'll be keeping tabs on Commissioner-elect McKea once he's sworn in, same as we do with every other local official. What he votes on, what he prioritizes, and how it affects you.

The Vernal Citizen
Keeping tabs on your local government, in plain English.

THE DETAILS:

🗳️ Final result: Joe McKea 2,437, Danny Harrell 2,432
📊 Margin: 5 votes out of 4,996 ballots cast
🔁 Recount requested: July 6, held July 9, audited July 10
✅ Outcome: Result unchanged after recount
📅 Next stop: November general election