Utah Republicans lose House supermajority but retain chamber control

Utah Republicans suffered their largest legislative setback in decades in the 2026 midterms, losing more than a dozen House seats and their long-held supermajority while retaining control of both chambers. Gov. Spencer Cox and House Speaker Mike Schultz said national political forces contributed to the losses, but warned Republicans not to dismiss voters’ dissatisfaction with state-level decisions. They cited concerns including redistricting, transparency, affordability, data-center development and lawmakers’ changes to voter-approved initiatives, as well as poor communication and public opposition to some legislation. Cox said the results called for a return to normalcy rather than a sharp partisan turn, while Schultz said Republicans must listen more closely and understand why supporters did not turn out. Schultz also named reducing elementary-school class sizes as a priority for the coming legislative session.