This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A totally Republican-controlled government has Rep. Mia Love excited about the possibilities for her second term. She envisions a plan to simplify taxes, a program to push credit out to more people wanting to start a business and legislation giving Congress a chance to reject new regulations.
"I'm optimistic," she said the day after beating Doug Owens by about 10 percentage points. "I think our future looks bright. I have faith in the democratic process."
Part of her excitement stems from having a Republican in the White House, even though, she didn't vote for President-elect Donald Trump and still has reservations about him.
Love wrote in Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, when she cast her ballot, a symbolic move.
"My district was not a huge fan of Donald Trump," she said, having previously described him as "subpar." "I believe I did what my district wanted me to do."
She still worries Trump may try to impose his will on Congress, rather than working with lawmakers, and she wants to see how big a spending bill he wants to rebuild roads, bridges and airports before she would back his first big priority.
"I don't want a president who makes unilateral decisions," she said.
Love doesn't think her opposition to her party's nominee will blunt her effectiveness in the House, expecting the Trump administration to understand that members must respond to the people in their districts.
She attributed her re-election, by a margin twice as big as her 2014 win, to helping Utahns who had problems with government.
"I think that what people know about me is when I say something, you can hold me to it," she said. "I want people to be able to count on what I say."
Twitter: @mattcanham