Utah's Democrats entered election season thinking, hoping, wishing they could pick up enough seats — four, to be exact — to take control of the Utah Senate.
But instead of taking over or even gaining ground Tuesday, the Democratic Party saw its number in the Senate dwindle by two, according to final but unofficial election results.
Republicans held an 18-11 advantage in the Senate heading into the election and came out with a 20-9 margin.
"We had a majority before and we still have a majority. It just feels better," Utah GOP executive director Scott Simpson said at 3 a.m. Wednesday, when Salt Lake County's delayed election results were finally complete enough to draw conclusions.
"The Democrats were projecting taking the Senate back and we have a net gain of two out of this so we feel great."
Those gains came in Weber County's District 20 and Salt Lake County's District 8.
In District 20, two-term Sen. Joe Hull, D-Hooper, was ousted by a narrow 371 votes by former Plain City Mayor Scott Jenkins in a race targeted by the state GOP.
In District 8, Republican Carlene Walker captured the seat vacated by Senate Minority Leader Scott Howell when he decided to take on Orrin Hatch for the U.S. Senate. Howell lost Tuesday, and so did his would-be successor, attorney Jim McConkie. Walker garnered 53.4 percent of the vote against McConkie.
"We got to beat Scott Howell twice in one night," Simpson said. "They (Walker's camp) had a very well-thought-out campaign and strategy. I think they made the right moves. And I think the primary helped her — she got her signs out there early and people recognized her name."
The Republicans also managed to hold onto a seat highly coveted by the Democrats — Weber County District 19. However, Rep. Dave Gladwell, R-North Ogden, defeated former Democratic House leader Grant Protzman by only 19 votes. Absentee votes or a recount could change the results. But Republicans were counting it as a win Wednesday.
"When it's this close, we're not sure," Gladwell said. "But (the absentee vote) is likely not to change much. I think our very close victory will hold up."
Protzman said he wasn't sure he would ask for a recount.
"We'll wait until the absentee ballots come in and may the chips fall where they may," he said.
Todd Taylor, executive director of the Utah Democratic Party, noted that while Democrats did not fare as well as was hoped in the Senate, they did pick up three seats in the House.
"All I know is tomorrow there will be more Democratic elected officials than there were yesterday," he said.
Incumbents were seeking re-election in seven of the 14 Senate races Tuesday. Six of them were victorious with only Hull losing his spot.
In the seven districts in which incumbents were not on the ballot, control of the seat changed parties in only of those races — Walker's District 8.
Winning easily, with more than 60 percent of the vote, were Rep. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, for the seat formerly held by Republican Lorin Jones; Majority Leader Leonard Blackham, R-Moroni; Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price; Senate President Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan; Sen. Dan Eastman, R-West Bountiful, who was appointed to the Senate six months ago to replace outgoing Senate President Lane Beattie; Rep. Bill Wright, R-Elberta, for the seat formerly held by Republican Robert Muhlestein; Republican Curt Bramble for the spot vacated by retiring Sen. Howard Nielson, R-Provo; Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem; Sen. Pete Suazo, D-Salt Lake City; and Republican Chris Buttars for the District 5 seat vacated by Sen. Mont Evans, R-Riverton.
Of the winning incumbents, Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, had the closest race. He garnered 59 percent of the vote to beat Democrat James Bramble.
E-mail: zman@desnews.com