Sen. Evan Vickers of Cedar City will be Utah's next Senate president after Republican lawmakers chose him in a closed-door vote Nov. 6 at the Capitol.

Vickers and House Speaker Mike Schultz of Hooper were both selected by acclamation, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. The picks came days after midterm results that cost House Republicans their two-thirds supermajority, with the party on track to lose about 16 seats.

The shakeup touched the Lehi area. Sen. Heidi Balderree (R-Saratoga Springs), whose district borders Lehi, had been listed as a candidate for Senate assistant whip, according to ABC4. Sen. Keven Stratton of Orem won the post instead. No source has detailed the outcome of that specific race.

Senate leadership

Vickers, a pharmacist who owns several stores in Cedar City, has served 18 years in the Legislature. He became the front-runner after Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore of Sandy lost his reelection bid to Democrat Shana Anderson. Cullimore trailed by nearly eight percentage points as of Nov. 6, Utah News Dispatch reported.

Sen. Scott Sandall had entered the race against Vickers after Cullimore's loss became apparent but later withdrew, Vickers told ABC4.

Vickers said he was "caught off guard" when he saw Cullimore trailing on election night. He told reporters the results carried a clear message.

"I think we have to be real about that. We have to be humble about that," Vickers said, according to Utah News Dispatch. "We've lost their trust in a certain way."

The rest of the Senate Republican team: Sen. Chris Wilson of Logan as majority leader and Sen. Mike McKell of Spanish Fork as majority whip. Stratton is the only member of the new Senate leadership team who has not held a leadership post before, KUER reported.

Vickers will be the first Senate president from southern Utah since Orval Hafen in 1957, according to the Tribune's earlier reporting.

House leadership

Schultz called the Nov. 3 election results a "sobering moment," according to Utah News Dispatch. He said watching Republican colleagues lose races prompted deep reflection.

"We were not immune to what happened nationally," Schultz said, according to the Deseret News. "Voters here in this state are telling us something as well."

The House leadership team includes Rep. Casey Snider of Paradise as majority leader, Rep. Candice Pierucci of Herriman as majority whip and Rep. Cal Roberts of Draper as assistant whip.

What comes next

While the House GOP supermajority is on track to be broken when the 67th Legislature convenes Jan. 19, the Senate will still hold a Republican supermajority, Utah News Dispatch reported. Senate Democrats were on pace to pick up two seats but kept their leadership largely intact, with Sen. Luz Escamilla of West Valley City remaining minority leader.

Both Vickers and Schultz said they intend to involve the Democratic caucus in policy decisions. Vickers pointed to the late Sen. Karen Mayne, a Democrat, as an influence.

House Democrats are expected to choose their leadership team Nov. 16.