Take 2

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In an exclusive interview with KUTV’s Heidi Hatch, Mike Schultz said voters felt unheard. He also outlined a plan to reduce K-6 class sizes and said President Trump may have gone too far on immigration enforcement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats could break the GOP’s supermajority in the Utah House. Democratic and unaffiliated candidates were on track to flip 15 House seats and two Senate seats. Republicans are expected to keep control, but losing the House supermajority would limit their ability to override vetoes or advance constitutional amendments without support from other lawmakers.   Senate leadership is in limbo. Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore was trailing Democrat Shana Anderson by more than 4,000 votes, after being considered a possible successor to Senate President Stuart Adams, who lost his primary. Senate leaders are scheduled to choose leadership Friday, while ballots are still being counted.   Sen. Scott Sandall of Box Elder County could jump into the Senate leadership race with Sen. Evan Vickers   Mike Schultz will lead House again, but who else will fill in leadership positions in the House?   Ben McAdams won Utah’s new 1st Congressional District. His victory returns a Democrat to Utah’s House delegation for the first time since 2021. Blake Moore won the new 2nd District, and Celeste Maloy won reelection in the 3rd. Mike Kennedy won the 4th District.   Utah voters rejected Amendment B and approved Amendment A. B would have required a 60% vote to pass certain citizen-led initiatives involving taxes. A removes the requirement that future proposed amendments and initiatives be published in newspapers before an election.   The count is continuing, with local races still in play. Salt Lake County had more than 100,000 Election Day ballots to process, and the added voter-information verification is slowing the count. Early returns also pointed to a possible Democratic majority on the Salt Lake County Council and support for a parks and recreation bond.   Sen. Kathleen Riebe faces calls to resign says she will not. The Utah Senate Minority Caucus voted to remove Riebe from the caucus and called for her resignation after an independent investigation found a pattern of conduct likely motivated by race, national origin or ethnicity, along with statements about employment decisions involving protected characteristics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heidi Hatch, Maura Carabello and Thomas Wright Amendment B: New poll shows a shift in voter sentiment   GOP Statement on Amendment B Polling Utah Poll of Record: 56% oppose Amendment B   Noble Predictive Insights polling record? Are they usually on target or off base?   Trump’s approval in Utah   Trump is urging voters to treat the midterms as if his name were on the ballot. Noble’s Utah poll finds his approval at 66% among Republicans. Democrats disapprove 99% to 1%, while independents disapprove 72% to 25%.    Trump cancels weekend rallies then rebooks   Salt Lake County tax and bond mailer   Salt Lake County sent a mailer this week about a proposed tax increase while also asking voters to approve a bond. Will the tax increase kill voters desire to say yes to the recreation bond?    Utah legislative leadership elections   Leadership elections are scheduled for next week.   Senate President: Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Cedar City) vs. Sen. Kirk Cullimore (R-Draper)   Ballot packet errors in two counties   Early turnout   Judicial retention debate   Economy and Affordability   Mortgage rates   Utah home prices and buyer leverage   Alaska double candidate-name controversy   Utah Voting Reminder Mail ballots must reach county election officials by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters can also use a drop box or vote in person. Same-day registration is available at vote centers with two forms of valid ID. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host: Heidi Hatch Guests: Maura Carabello and Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz What you'll hear this week: Utah congressional debates: What issues will drive voters to the polls? Data center protests, arrests and potential legislation in 2027. Could data centers become a national election issue? Constitutional Amendments A & B: What's at stake? DOJ election monitors coming to Utah. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson's 60 Minutes interview and threats against election officials. Federal judge stalls U.S. Forest Service headquarters move to Utah. Utah legislative races to watch. Criminal charges against Utah sheriffs and questions about accountability. National election outlook: Who will control the U.S. House and Senate? Election Day: November 3, 2026. Listen to this week's Take 2 Podcast for political analysis and discussion from both sides of the aisle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Take 2 Podcast: Heidi Hatch is joined by Maura Carabello of the Exoro Group and Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson.  The 2026 election sprint: Mail ballots go out Oct. 13 ahead of Utah’s Nov. 3 general election. The new Salt Lake-centered 1st Congressional District and whether it could help determine the balance of power in Washington. Breaking down the CD1 debate between Democrat Ben McAdams and Republican Riley Owen: Did either candidate move undecided voters? What to watch for in the CD3 debate between Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy and Democratic challenger Kent Udell. New polling on how Utahns are feeling about the midterms — and whether optimism, anxiety and the national political environment will shape turnout. Constitutional Amendments A and B, including the proposed 60% threshold for citizen initiatives that create or increase taxes. Former Utah Rep. Trevor Lee’s fraud charges, resignation and the impact on public trust. Two major death-penalty developments: the halted execution of Tennessee inmate Christa Pike and the release on bond of Utah death-row inmate Douglas Carter after more than 40 years. CBS News’ partnership with prediction market Kalshi: Useful political data or a risky new influence on election coverage? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heidi Hatch is joined by Maura Carabello with the Exoro Group and Rep. Ryan Wilcox, who sits on the Utah Legislative Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee. The 158-page UVU campus-safety review following the Charlie Kirk shooting: staffing, coordination and accountability. The Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration to use the SAVE database to check voter citizenship — and what it means for Utah’s election administration and voter privacy. The federal case against a Utah postal worker accused of discarding about 300 Eagle Mountain ballots and other mail — and whether the case undermines trust or shows election safeguards working. Sen. John Curtis calling for an investigation into Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden over presidential family business dealings and foreign connections. Whether Utah lawmakers can write meaningful guardrails for Flock cameras, license plate readers and artificial intelligence before the 2027 legislative session. New polling showing Utahns’ concerns about data-center growth, water use and the pressure to keep up with the tech economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Take 2 podcast, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson joins Heidi Hatch to discuss Utah’s legal fight with the U.S. Department of Justice over access to voters’ unredacted personal information. The interview was recorded Sept. 14, just hours before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the separate USPS case. Henderson says the lawsuit will not affect Utah’s upcoming election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heidi Hatch joins Maura Carabello and former Utah State Auditor John Dougall to examine how America has changed in the 25 years since 9/11 and debate plans to memorialize Charlie Kirk at UVU. They also discuss Gov. Spencer Cox’s “Disagree Better” campaign, questions surrounding his growing national profile and a Justice Department lawsuit challenging Utah’s in-state tuition policy for undocumented immigrants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host: Heidi Hatch Guests: Maura Carabello, Exoro Group, and Doug Fiefia, Utah representative and Senate candidate Utah Legislature dives into issues months before the session To Flock or Not to Flock? This week: Utah lawmaker to propose “parameters” for Flock cameras and ALPRs Two months out from Election Day President Trump on the campaign trail Bears Ears and Grand Staircase protections Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices