SALT LAKE CITY — While the race for Utah’s GOP gubernatorial primary isn’t over yet, it’s getting a little more clear.
The latest numbers released Thursday show Spencer Cox holds a two percent lead over Jon Huntsman.
"Today the State of Utah took a substantial step forward in who the next governor is going to be,” said Hinckley Institute of Politics Director at the University of Utah Jason Perry.
Political analysts said Huntsman will need at least 55 percent of the votes still uncounted to take the lead, a tall feat for the former governor.
While the race is still too close to call, Perry tells FOX13 News Huntsman needs to cover a lot of ground if he wants to win.
“Spencer Cox had a really great day. He was able to keep his lead. The options and the math has become much clearer," Perry said. "We are going to see in the remaining days whether or not there is a path for victory for Jon Huntsman. It’s a lot less likely after today."
Roughly 48,000 ballots still need to be counted in what could be a record turnout for a primary election.
Ballot counting has slowed by COVID-19 precautions, including quarantining ballots for at least 24 hours.
Elections results won’t be final for three more weeks.