Incumbent Chris Wharton faces heavy competition in Salt Lake City Council District 3 race
Salt Lake City’s Third District is known for its historic neighborhoods, sweeping views from the Avenues, and its role as home to Utah’s seat of government. It’s also the district where one of the city’s most prominent LGBTQ+ elected officials, Chris Wharton, has built a reputation as a progressive voice and a fierce advocate for equality. But this fall, Wharton faces a test unlike any in his political career: five candidates are on the ballot for the District 3 seat, making it the most competitive race in the city.
For an area that has generally supported Wharton by comfortable margins — he won reelection in 2021 with 62 percent of the vote — the size of this year’s candidate field is remarkable. And for the city’s LGBTQ+ community, the stakes are high. Wharton has not only been a consistent ally but also an openly gay leader who has shaped some of Salt Lake City’s most consequential policies on equality, housing, and sustainability.
The District
Stretching from South Temple north to the city lines and the east foothills to I-15, District 3 includes some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks: Temple Square, the Utah State Capitol, Memory Grove, Lindsey Gardens, the Cathedral of the Madeleine, and the Salt Lake City Cemetery. The neighborhoods of Federal Heights, Capitol Hill, Marmalade, and the Avenues blend historic charm with an urban feel.
The district is also politically active, represented by community councils in the Avenues, Capitol Hill, and Fairpark. It has long leaned progressive, with voters typically backing candidates who prioritize clean air, public lands, and inclusive policies.
The candidates
Chris Wharton
Wharton, a sixth-generation Salt Laker and attorney, was first elected to the City Council in 2017. A graduate of Westminster College and the University of Utah’s law school, he owns a small legal practice that focuses on family law, estate planning, and LGBTQ+ legal advocacy.
Before entering elected office, Wharton was already a visible force in the LGBTQ+ community. He served on the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission, where he helped draft Utah’s first LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances for housing and employment. He has also held leadership roles with the Utah Pride Center and the LGBT & Allied Lawyers of Utah.
On the Council, Wharton has been a consistent progressive vote and, in 2025, was elected by his colleagues to serve a second term as Council Chair. His tenure has touched virtually every corner of city life: pushing for the city to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, expanding affordable housing programs, defending the watershed, strengthening historic preservation, and advancing accessibility measures for people with disabilities. He was a vocal proponent of Salt Lake City’s ordinance requiring closed captioning on televisions in public areas and backed funding for gender-affirming healthcare coverage for city employees and their families.
Wharton often frames his work as about “nailing the basics” but with an eye toward equity. “Clean air and water are human rights,” he said in a recent campaign statement. “We can’t claim to be a thriving city if our most vulnerable neighbors are left behind.”
He and his husband, Chris Jensen, are raising their daughter in the Marmalade neighborhood along with two Corgis and two rescue cats. Wharton’s visibility as a family man and openly gay elected official has made him a symbol of possibility in Utah politics.
David Berg
Berg, a longtime activist and frontline healthcare worker, is no stranger to local politics. In 2021, he ran against Wharton, finishing with 17 percent of the vote. A fourth-generation Salt Lake City resident, he is running on a platform rooted in justice, preservation, and community empowerment. A frontline healthcare worker serving the city’s unhoused population, Berg brings lived experience and a compassionate approach to addressing some of the city’s most urgent issues.
Long committed to civil rights, Berg says he worked with attorney Brian Barnard in 2003 to help remove anti-LGBTQ+ language from Utah law. In 2006, he again partnered with Barnard and the Disabled Rights Action Coalition to defend free speech at the Utah State Capitol, winning a federal court case that protected the public’s right to protest.
As vice chair of the Utah Democratic Party Environmental Caucus, Berg has taken a strong stand against the proposed inland port, citing its potential to harm clean air and water. He is equally dedicated to historic preservation and the arts, working to save the citizen-owned Utah Pantages Theater from demolition and advocating to reopen Dinwoody Park to the public as part of a vibrant downtown arts district.
Berg’s priorities include fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, protecting parks and the environment, ensuring real affordable housing, and demanding transparency and accountability in city government. He believes in giving voters, not corporate interests, the final say on decisions shaping their communities.
“I’m here to empower people and protect what makes Salt Lake City special,” Berg says. “Together, we can build a city that truly works for everyone.”
Liddy Huntsman Hernández
Hernández enters the race with one of Utah’s most famous last names. The daughter of former governor Jon Huntsman, she grew up in District 3 and now raises her two sons in the neighborhood. A writer, advocate, and sometimes stand-up comic, Hernández presents herself as a bold but practical candidate with deep ties to the community.
Her life experiences, from being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age seven to living abroad in the Dominican Republic and on the East Coast, have shaped her advocacy for health, community, and public service.
Hernández is no stranger to challenging the status quo. At a young age in 2013, she joined Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, a national campaign that reshaped conversations around same-sex marriage in conservative spaces. That same year, she stood at the Utah State Capitol in support of anti-discrimination legislation, part of the push that led to SB 296, securing housing and workplace protections for LGBTQ+ Utahns. Her advocacy reflects a lifelong commitment to ensuring all residents, queer, trans, and otherwise marginalized, have equal dignity and opportunity.
Her priorities include responsible budgeting, affordable housing, mental health and public safety, historic preservation, environmental stewardship, and transparent government. She has also been a vocal advocate for Type 1 diabetes care, co-creating the Bag of Hope program to support newly diagnosed children and leading efforts that helped expand access to modern insulin pumps nationwide.
Huntsman Hernández says she’s not running for prestige but for the community that raised her: “District 3 is who I am, and I’ll fight for it every day.”
Blake McClary
McClary brings yet another profile to the race: a tech sector leader and community organizer with a focus on pragmatic city services. A resident of the Avenues since 2016, McClary served on the Greater Avenues Community Council and helped organize the Avenues Street Fair. Professionally, he has helped scale Utah tech startups, founded Silicon Slopes SLC, and remains active in the state’s innovation economy.
Endorsed by former state senator Derek Kitchen, himself a pioneering gay politician, McClary argues that after eight years of Wharton, it’s time for a change. His platform emphasizes “nailing the basics” — improving parks and infrastructure, building more attainable housing, particularly ownership opportunities, and creating realistic strategies for homelessness. He has called for a centralized service campus for the unsheltered and a new mental health facility, alongside more robust addiction recovery efforts.
McClary’s campaign priorities include affordable and diverse housing options, better-maintained parks and public spaces, practical solutions to homelessness that combine compassion with accountability, and a transportation system that balances cars, bikes, and transit. Above all, he stresses keeping city services reliable and affordable.
“This is home,” McClary says. “I want my kids to grow up in a city where families can afford to stay, our parks are safe and well cared for, and every resident feels supported.”
Jake Seastrand
Rounding out the crowded field is Seastrand, a judicial assistant at the Salt Lake County Justice Court and another openly gay candidate. Married to his husband, Jason McManus, Seastrand has called District 3 home for years, embracing its vibrant neighborhoods, parks, and small businesses while raising a family with their two dogs.
Seastrand says his experience in the Justice Court gives him firsthand insight into the challenges residents face, from housing instability to mental health crises. That experience informs his approach to public service, emphasizing practical solutions that balance compassion with effective governance.
His priorities include expanding affordable housing while preserving the unique character of District 3, supporting small business owners through streamlined permitting, targeted grants, and economic incentives, and enhancing green spaces with tree canopy expansion, park maintenance, and continued development of the Salt Lake City Green Loop.
Seastrand also champions a comprehensive approach to public safety, mental health, and substance abuse, advocating for coordinated responses that connect residents with housing, healthcare, and supportive services, while allowing law enforcement to focus on critical incidents.
“District 3 is home, and every family deserves a voice and the opportunity to thrive,” Seastrand says. “I’m running to ensure our neighborhoods remain vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable for the generations ahead.”
Looking Ahead
In 2021, Wharton’s path to reelection was clear. This year, with four determined challengers, his campaign will need to mobilize strongly in a district where voter turnout can fluctuate. Ranked-choice voting, used in Salt Lake City elections, adds another layer of uncertainty, as second- and third-choice rankings could prove decisive.
On October 15, the Capitol Hill, Fairpark, and Greater Avenues Community Councils will host a candidate night with all District 3 candidates at the Salt Lake City Marmalade Branch Library, 280 W. 500 North, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
