The Associated Press announced that Celeste Maloy won the Republican primary for the Second Congressional District with 38 percent of votes.

As Washington County numbers began to come in, the three-way race between Maloy and former state rep. Becky Edwards, as well as businessman Bruce Hough, tightened up late Tuesday night. Maloy had overtaken Edwards.

She says that she received a call from Edwards on Wednesday night.

Maloy said, “She called before she tweeted so I had some time to prepare myself before the tweet. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen today.”

In an interview with FOX News on Wednesday night, Hough made a similar phone call to her.

Maloy said, “Bruce Hough called me just now and admitted and congratulated my nomination and shared my goal to unite the Republican Party behind him.”

Maloy won a surprise victory in the Utah Republican Party convention for the Special Election back in June. She told FOX 13 News that she considered herself to be a dark horse.

The Cedar City resident has now been nominated by the Republican Party for the November special general election.

“I have said since the beginning that anyone who represents this district must represent the district in its entirety and I intend to do so. But it’s been so sweet to watch the support pouring in from rural and southern Utah,” said Maloy.

Maloy was a former employee of Congressman Chris Stewart who is quitting his seat mid-term on September 15th.

Mary Weaver Bennett is Director of the Michael O. Leavitt Centre for Politics and the Public Service. She said, “I think what you are seeing is the emergence in Southern Utah of a political force. For so long, the political power seemed to be concentrated in Salt Lake City and the suburbs.”

Bennett said she expected a close race, which is representative of geographic diversity in the largest congressional district of the state.

She said this shows that the southern part is flexing its muscles in this race.

Bennett said, “The power of southern Utah is evident in the growth of population and the growing awareness of the area. Having a local candidate shows this.”

He said that he supported Maloy, for voters in southern Utah like Beaver resident Bryson wood, for many reasons.

Wood said that one of the things she did to sell herself was her commitment to keeping our public lands public. She had the same mentality as people in smaller towns, and that is why I believe they were attracted to her.

Maloy claims that she is an unique candidate, with a distinct perspective. She lives in the southern region of the state.

Maloy said, “I have been talking to voters in rural Utah and they seem really excited to be able to elect a representative that has to drive a long distance to the Salt Lake Airport just like them.”

Maloy now faces Democratic state senator Kathleen Riebe at the special general elections on November 21,