LGBTQ+ candidates and Equality Utah endorsees show mixed early results in Utah municipal races

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s municipal elections show a mix of strong leads and tight deficits for openly LGBTQ+ and Equality Utah-endorsed candidates on ballots across Utah.

Openly LGBTQ+ Candidates:

In Midvale, newly appointed mayor Dustin Gettel, who took office in January after former Mayor Marcus Stevenson resigned, appears to be on track to secure a full term. Gettel holds a commanding 62 percent lead with 31 of 34 precincts reporting.

In Carbon County, two-term incumbent Helper City Mayor Lenise Peterman leads in her re-election effort, with 53.82 percent of the 615 ballots cast.

Two Salt Lake City Council races show LGBTQ+ candidates performing strongly. Councilman Chris Wharton, running in District 3 and one of Utah’s highest-profile queer elected officials, is ahead by a substantial margin under ranked-choice tabulations — winning 44 percent in round one and finishing at 50 percent in the final round. Erika Carlsen in District 5 similarly holds a decisive advantage, reporting 66 percent of the vote.

Elsewhere, the night remains uncertain for two other queer candidates. Ogden City Council At-Large A incumbent Marcia White is trailing with 44.63 percent of the vote so far. And in Midvale, Jamie Steverson is also currently behind in their race for the District 5 council seat.

Equality Utah-endorsed candidates:

Equality Utah’s endorsed candidates posted strong early results across Utah Tuesday night, according to the state’s unofficial election returns — with many leading in mayoral and city council races from Midvale to Cottonwood Heights to South Salt Lake.

In mayoral contests, Gay Lynn Bennion leads in Cottonwood Heights with 56.45 percent, Paul Fotheringham leads in Holladay with 56.81 percent, Cherie Wood leads in South Salt Lake with 65.79 percent, and Midvale Mayor Dustin Gettel leads with 62 percent. In Helper, Lenise Peterman leads with 53.82 percent. Park City mayoral contender Ryan Dickey is barely ahead at 50.03 percent with just two votes separating the two candidates.

The strongest overall Equality Utah performance appears in Salt Lake County, where multiple endorsed city council candidates lead by wide margins. In Salt Lake City, Victoria Petro leads District 1 with 52 percent, Chris Wharton leads District 3 at 50 percent in the final ranked choice tabulation, Erika Carlsen commands District 5 with 66 percent, and Sarah Young is unopposed in District 7 at 100 percent.

Other council results include Rachel Whipple leading in Provo with 67.15 percent; Bryant Brown winning his Midvale District 4 race with 78.34 percent; Ellen Birrell leading in Cottonwood Heights District 4 with 67.84 percent; Lyndsay Longtin leading in Kearns District 2 with 58.23 percent; Thom DeSirant leading Millcreek District 2 with 58.87 percent; Bev Uipi dominating Millcreek District 4 with 81.88 percent; Flor Lopez leading in Ogden District 1 with 59.10 percent; Lars Nordfelt leading West Valley’s At-Large seat with 55.58 percent; Matt Isaacson ahead in the Lake Mountain School Board race at 52.18 percent; and David Smith leading in Timpanogos School District Seat 3 at 52.34 percent. In North Salt Lake, Alisa Van Lengeveld leads the field with 31.88 percent in a six-way race for two council seats. In Clearfield, Danielle King leads with 33.18 percent.

Two West Jordan endorsed candidates, Annette Harris at 17.83 percent and Jessica Wignall at 16.24 percent, sit second and third in a three-seat at-large contest.

Several Equality Utah-backed candidates are currently behind: Tara Chiasson is at 44.85 percent in Big Water, Aubry Bennion is third at 17.94 percent for Bountiful’s two available seats, Diego Zegarra is at 33.93 percent in Park City’s at-large race, Katie Reed is in third at 18.13 percent in Perry, Nate Worthen is in third at 22.21 percent in Providence, Jamie Steverson trails with 29.89 percent in Midvale District 5, Jared Eborn is behind in Murray District 2 at 44.04 percent, Ben Peck trails in Murray District 3 at 41.89 percent, Iva Williams trails in Sandy District 3 at 42.49 percent, and Stacy Hughes trails in South Jordan District 5 at 46.44 percent. Marcia White, in Ogden’s At-Large A, also trails with 44.63 percent.

Park City’s other at-large seat sees endorsed candidate Tana Toly currently leading with 39.83 percent.

One candidate previously endorsed by Equality Utah, Paul Hancock in Lehi, had already been eliminated earlier in the primary election.

Official canvassing in most counties will finalize these results later this month, but early returns suggest Utah’s LGBTQ+ community could see one of its most successful municipal cycles in Utah history.