Mendenhall declares victory in SLC mayoral race; Hawes-Tingey to face off against Midvale City Council District 2 incumbent Paul Glover
Listen to this articleKeeping in mind that voter turnout for the Salt Lake City mayoral primary was the lowest in recent years, Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall declared victory last night. While voting count is not yet complete, Mendenhall leads former state senator Jim Dabakis by over several hundred votes. And State Senator Luz Escamilla is currently hot on Dabakis’ tail, trailing by only 150 votes.
Although the race with Escamilla is close, Dabakis says he is in a “comfortable” position and believes he will emerge to the top two and into the General Election, with remarking to Fox 13, that he has “roughly $171,00 in the bank to wage a fight to November.”
“We knew it was going to be close and that this was a possibility. All we can do is wait and hope our final efforts were enough to see us through the primary and into the general. Either way this shakes out, it’s been an incredible race and I cannot thank my supporters enough,” Escamilla said in a statement released late Tuesday.
In other Utah election news, Midvale Community Council Chair, Sophia Hawes-Tingey will face off against the seated Midvale City Council District 2, Paul Glover in the general election, in November, leading Glover by a narrow margin of 12 votes.
Hawes-Tingey posted to her FB wall, “Dear friends, I am clearly through the primary. I can’t say thank you enough for your confidence and your support. I look forward to continuing getting to know each of you as we proceed into the general election.”
When she announced her candidacy in late May, Hawes-Tingey, who is transgender, said that she is motivated by the continual growth Midvale is experiencing, and is supportive of safe neighborhoods, housing equality for marginalized communities and ecological stewardship.
And Hawes-Tingey continued by pointing out that she is involved with a number of organizations she cares about including Restore Our Humanity, Utah Stonewall Democrats and the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on boards for Midvale Cinco de Mayo Committee and Midvale Harvest Days Committee.
