Salt Lake City held its nonpartisan mayoral primary on Tuesday, and City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall secured a spot in the November general election by taking first place with 23.7% of the vote. However, it may be a little while before she learns who her opponent is, though there’s no question that she’ll end up facing a fellow Democrat in this very blue city.
Former Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis ended Tuesday evening with a 21.6-21.2 lead over state Sen. Luz Escamilla for the second general election spot, a margin of 109 votes. Dabakis has declared victory, but there are more ballots to be counted and Escamilla is not conceding. Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swenson says the results will be updated Thursday at 5 PM ET/ 3 PM local time, and there will be another update at the same time on Friday. No one, including Swenson, knows how many votes still need to be tallied.
Mendenhall, who also serves as chair of the Utah Air Quality Board, has emphasized improving air quality during her campaign to succeed Mayor Jackie Biskupski, who is retiring after one term. Mendenhall has also pledged to clean up the city’s most polluted buildings and to combat unfair eviction practices.
Dabakis, who was the Utah legislature’s only gay member when he retired last year, has called for free-fare local public transit. Dabakis has also argued that he’ll be able to work well with the GOP-dominated state government to achieve “big ideas.”
Escamilla, who emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico and would be the first person of color to lead Salt Lake City, says she’d bring a new perspective to city government. Escamilla has also argued that she’ll be able to work well with the GOP legislature. Biskupski showed up at Escamilla’s election night party on Tuesday and while she said she wasn’t making an endorsement, the outgoing mayor said of Escamilla, “I think she has all the characteristics it takes to be a very good mayor.”
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