This is the 2018 race. The latest: 2024 →

2018Flipped from RepublicanFinal resultsSpecial election

2018 special election for Utah Senate District 8

Utah State Senate · Utah

Kathleen Riebe (D) won with 55.8% of the vote, defeating Brian Zehnder (R) by 14.2 points, flipping a seat Republicans held.

Kathleen RiebeDemocrat · winner
55.8%23,221
Brian ZehnderRepublican
41.7%17,328
John JacksonOther party
2.5%1,053
41,602 votes

Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET

The seat over time

D − R margin in this seat's races around 2018

Races before and after

EvenR+13.62012R+14.52016D+14.22018D+14.22018 specialD+13.22020

Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)

The candidates

Kathleen Riebe (D)Brian Zehnder (R)

Also on the ballot: John Jackson (Other party), 2.5%