Wilson takes lead in Salt Lake County mayor’s race; $507M bond in dead heat

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson says she’s feeling “pretty comfortable” about her early lead as she seeks to retain her role over Utah’s most populated county.

Wilson, a Democrat, leads Republican challenger Erin Rider 58% to 42%, after another update provided by the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office early Wednesday. However, the race remains close enough that neither side was willing to claim victory or defeat Tuesday night.

“Of course, I’m pleased about the margin,” she told KSL.com Tuesday night after the first results came in. “I feel really comfortable with that margin and pleased that the majority of residents in the county back me and are happy to support me.”

The updated results are based on the count of nearly 370,000 votes. The Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office reported at 1:30 a.m. that it had over 140,000 ballots left to process.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, but the results were delayed a little more than two hours until everyone in the state who was in line at the time voted. It’s unclear when the final ballots will be counted, but several of the precincts left lean Republican.

A spokesperson for Rider’s campaign said her team plans to review additional results as they come in on Wednesday. All results aren’t official until the county’s board of canvassers meets on Nov. 19 to certify the election.

Wilson took office in 2019, replacing Ben McAdams after he was elected to Congress. She helped oversee the county’s operations through the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges before being reelected in 2020. She touts “historic investments” in addressing homelessness and affordable housing, as well as expanding open space and helping attract the 2024 Winter Olympics and Paralympics as part of her achievements.

She also received endorsements from mayors of nine different cities in the county, including Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, as well as several organizations.

Rider, a former law clerk on the Senate Finance Committee under Sen. Orrin Hatch, joined the race in early January, contending that the county had “fallen short” in addressing crime, homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. She ultimately landed endorsements from Gov. Spencer Cox and all four of the state’s congressmen.

The election comes at a transformative time in the county. Salt Lake City leaders voted in October to approve a partnership agreement with Smith Entertainment Group on a plan to remodel the Delta Center and reimagine the two blocks east of it. That agreement hinges on a few other agreements, including a lease agreement with Salt Lake County.

Wilson told KSL.com last week that the county still intends to request state funds tied to the massive project, which is why she doesn’t believe a lease agreement will be reached until after the next legislative session. The election will determine who oversees those conversations.

Bond question

The two candidates also squared off in a debate last month, where they were split on their opinion of a proposed $507 million public safety bond also on the ballot. The bond would help the county pay for 812 new county jail beds, along with expanded mental health treatment options, a unit helping people who are leaving jail to “rejoin society,” a new justice and accountability center, and a lower-security facility for low-level repeat offenders.

Wilson, who also participated in a bipartisan press conference advocating for the measure a few weeks after the debate, said it would reduce recidivism and save money in the long run because the county’s aging infrastructure would have to be replaced eventually. Rider, on the other hand, called it a “taxpayer boondoggle” that would increase taxes but wouldn’t solve issues with deferred maintenance on other county buildings.

The bond is currently in a much tighter race, but voters appear to lean against it. Votes against the bond now lead votes for it by almost 4,000 votes as of 1:30 a.m. If approved, the bond will add $58.94 to the property tax collection for a resident with an average home value of $602,000.

Residents were far more supportive of the county’s tax that goes toward zoos, arts and parks, which opened with nearly 80% in favor of retaining.

Over half of the county’s ballots had been processed before Election Day, but that didn’t mean Tuesday wasn’t uneventful. Long lines were reported in multiple cities across the Salt Lake Valley after sunset.

Counting was also briefly halted after a poll worker found a small amount of a white substance on a ballot being processed. A hazardous materials team responded to the Salt Lake County Government Center Tuesday afternoon to test the powder, but it was determined not to be harmful.

Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman added that the incident led to an evacuation for about an hour, but workers returned to processing ballots later in the afternoon without delaying the count.

“We take this very seriously,” she said.

Other county races

A few other key county positions are also on the ballot, including a possible political shift in the Salt Lake County Council.

The Salt Lake County Council is in line for a shake-up regardless of what happens at the polls. Of the four seats up for grabs this November, only one current member — Dea Theodore — is on the ballot. Members Jim Bradley, David Alvord and Ann Granato did not seek reelection, meaning that at least a third of the County Council will be different beginning in 2025.

Republicans currently hold a slim 5-4 majority on the council. Most of the races were even closer than the initial mayor results, making them too close to call. Theodore, for example, opened with a narrow 151-vote lead from the first 57,283 District 6 votes counted, but her lead rose a bit more with early Wednesday’s update.