Gerlach to Keep Congressional Seat

Jim Gerlach will represent the U.S. District in Congress for a fifth term, according to several news outlets.

Currently, with just under 85 percent of the state reporting, Gerlach is up 32,000 votes - 15 points - over challenger Manan Trivedi.

This is the second time the two battled for the spot - in 2010, Gerlach won by 14 points.

Going into the 2012 election, Trivedi was considered a promising Democratic challenger, due in part to his early fundraising numbers.

During last year's congressional redistricting, Trivedi was drawn out of the new 6th District, which is considered a more Republican district than it was during the 2010 election.

This election cycle, Trivedi linked Gerlach's policies to the conservative agendas of Romney and Ryan, and attacked the partisan nature of congress.

"At times it seems that the only thing bipartisan about Washington is the mess they continue to create," Trivedi said in a blog on his website.

Gerlach's campaign attacked Trivedi's "extreme agenda," supporting the stimulus bill, and creating jobs overseas.