SALT LAKE CITY — As ballots continue to be counted in this year’s election, some preliminary election data shows that only two places in the country may have withstood the nationwide red wave: Washington state and Utah.

You read that right: Utah.

“Almost every county in the country moved to the right. However, in Utah it looks like we either stayed pretty close or Vice President Harris got more votes. We’re still trying to figure things out, but it’s interesting that she got a percentage of votes than any Democratic presidential candidate since LBJ won the state in 1964,” said Morgan Lyon Cotti, deputy director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

To be clear: Utah remains a reliably Republican state. From the presidency onward, Republicans dominated the elections. But Democrats have held on to their legislative seats (and may gain one depending on how some close races play out). Voter data from previous election cycles indicates that Salt Lake County, which is the state’s most populous, has shifted slightly further to the left. Harris also won Summit and Grand counties. He Financial times has been following national voting trends and currently sees Utah as holding steady (if not slightly tilted to the left).

“Being a Democrat in Utah doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as being a Democrat in New York or California. We’re a red state and that means we have to meet voters where they are most of the time,” Mason said. Hughes, communications director for the Utah Democratic Party, told FOX 13 News on Friday.

The preliminary data is raising eyebrows and has even surprised some Utah Democrats who are still smarting from Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat. But Hughes said Utah Democratic Party volunteers and candidates focused on some key issues here that they might not have focused as much on in other states.

“We’ve been calling voters, we’ve been knocking on voters’ doors and we’ve been talking about the issues that matter to them,” he said. “We’ve been talking about the cost of living, we’ve been talking about politicians not listening to voters and we’ve been talking about education.”

Utah’s opposition to national trends has caught the attention of the Democratic National Committee, Hughes said.

Cotti said the slight move to the left may also be due to a particular candidate.

“This may be unique in this election alone for the presidency. Utahns have always struggled with Donald Trump,” he said. “In 2016, he didn’t even get the majority of the state. He’ll get 58% or 59% in this election, but historically speaking, that number is still much lower than what a Republican candidate in the state would be expected to get.”

The Utah Republican Party said it remains to be seen if the trend continues. Party Chairman Rob Axson told FOX 13 News on Friday that late voters have tended to favor Republicans, so he wouldn’t be surprised to see a swing toward Republicans when the remaining ballots arrive.

“It’s a moving target and we’re confident that when it’s all said and done and the votes are counted, we’ll still be trending Republican and things will look even stronger,” Axson said.

Utah has seen a lot of people move there, but Cotti said it may take a few election cycles to know if this is an aberration or a trend toward a “purple” state.

“You always have to take some time before reading too much into something. After the election, especially the week after the election for the losing party? It’s the ‘coulda, shoulda, shoulda,'” he said. “For the winning party, the important thing is that they are geniuses. It usually takes one or two election cycles to really understand where the directions are going. This could be the start of a blue trickle. I know those Democrats really hope that So be it. I know Republicans say it’s just a point, it’s no big deal.”