Escamilla Concedes SLC Mayor’s Race To Mendenhall
Nov 6, 2019, 4:20 PM | Updated: 4:29 pm
FILE: State Sen. Luz Escamilla. (Photo: Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
(Photo: Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — State Sen. Luz Escamilla has conceded the Salt Lake City mayor’s race to city councilwoman Erin Mendenhall.
“I just congratulated Erin,” Escamilla said in a press release. “We had a good conversation and I wished her the best of luck as our city’s next mayor.”
Mendenhall released a statement shortly after, saying she looks forward to working with Escamilla in the future.
“I just received a very gracious call from Sen. Escamilla congratulating me on being elected Salt Lake City’s 36th mayor,” Mendenhall said. “Luz is a dedicated public servant and a true champion for Salt Lake City. Her candidacy made this a better campaign and her continued public service will help make Salt Lake City a better home for all of us. I look forward to working in partnership with her to move our city forward.”
Mendenhall will hold a press conference Thursday at 10 a.m. at Salt Lake City Hall to discuss the transition.
Escamilla said the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office reported that 9,744 ballots were left to be counted Wednesday. The low number of ballots left the odds of Escamilla overtaking Mendenhall as “insurmountable,” Escamilla said.
Escamilla’s campaign said they had estimated a higher turnout and the total number of votes indicated a low turnout for the mayoral race.
By the end of vote counting Tuesday, Mendenhall led with 19,819 (58.6%) votes with 100% of precincts reporting compared to Escamilla’s 13,999 (41.4%).
“I am so grateful for my family and the support they’ve been throughout this campaign. I’m also very proud of my campaign staff who worked tirelessly these past few months. Lastly, I cannot thank all our supporters and volunteers enough,” Escamilla said. “As I look back over these past few months, what I will always keep with me is how beautiful this city and its residents are. I’ve met so many incredible Salt Lakers during this campaign. I’ve made new friends and learned this truth: east siders care about the west side and west siders care about the east side. In these times when we see so many divisions, it’s a reaffirmation of our great city to see that we all care about each other.”
Escamilla said she will continue her term as a state senator.
