Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Political experts said Wednesday Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is going to have to start throwing punches if he wants to beat his rival Jackie Biskupski.
Tuesday night's preliminary results left Becker, who is seeking a rare third term, looking like the underdog ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Becker, with 30.7 percent of votes, finished second to Biskupski's primary-winning 46.2 percent.
"Biskupski is a very feisty, tough politician," said Frank Pignanelli, a political consultant, Deseret News columnist and a former mayoral candidate who ran unsuccessfully against former mayor Rocky Anderson. "And she's not going to step down — nor should she, because whatever she's doing is working. She's going to ramp it up, and so Becker needs to decide if he's going to take it."
It's been 20 years since a Salt Lake City mayoral incumbent lost a primary election. In 1995, Dee Dee Corradini lost to Rich McKeown, but only by 5 percent of votes. She later won the general election.
Becker has a much greater margin to make up during the next few months and if he wants to bounce back like Corradini, Pignanelli said he needs to strengthen his offense.
"I realize that I'm going to have to work really hard and reach out to voters," Becker said, but he pointed out that his campaign has saved a significant amount of money for the final stretch to Nov. 3.
According to Aug. 4 reports, the mayor has about $370,000 left to spend, which is $300,000 more than Biskupski.
"I certainly know financially we're in a much stronger position," Becker said. "We haven't done any work in the media yet, and we have the resources to pursue that now. That's been our plan."
Pignanelli said Becker would benefit from shining a critical light on Biskupski's financial backers and the presence of a political action committee funding at least 15 billboards supporting Biskupki's campaign.
"Biskupski's done a good job at punching at him, so he's going to have to fire some punches back," he said. "The good news for (Becker) is he's got three months to do it. What he can't do is say, 'I just need to raise and spend more money.' Mass media doesn't mean anything unless you have the right messaging ... Biskupski is going to be pounding away, and so he needs to respond in kind."
LaVaar Webb, political consultant who writes the political column with Pignanelli, said Biskupski has captured the advantage, and now Becker faces an up-hill battle to make up for lost ground.
"There is an appetite for change in the city, given Biskupski's big lead," Webb said. "Personally I think Becker has done a really good job as mayor, but over eight years one does pick up a lot of controversy."
Webb said while voters could also have an ax to grind with Becker because of bike lanes and parking meters, he said the mayor has been mostly battered by the political controversy of the forced resignation of Salt Lake City's popular police chief, Chris Burbank.
Biskupski said she knows her message has been resonating with voters, and she wants to increase her momentum knowing Becker's financial advantage.
"We will move forward on our campaign as if we are behind and really pursue victory," she said Wednesday.
While the primary election results won't be official until the City Council finishes canvassing Aug. 18, Tuesday night garnered just under 40 percent turnout. Salt Lake County officials expect a 60 percent turnout for the general election. Becker said he plans to reach out to more voters who have yet to choose a candidate.
Biskupski's done a good job at punching at him, so he's going to have to fire some punches back.
–Frank Pignanelli, political consultant
Becker sent a letter to Republican voters earlier this month from former U.S. senator Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who expressed support for the incumbent's reelection.
Pignanelli said Becker "could change the dynamics of the race" if he reaches out to enough undecided voters.
However, Webb said Tuesday's vote of the Legislature's Prison Relocation Commission to build the new prison in Salt Lake City could seriously damage Becker's campaign leading up to the general election. He said it makes the mayor look as if he didn't have enough "clout" to persuade state lawmakers to keep it away.
In March, Biskupski claimed the mayor worked a "back-room deal" with legislators to couple a sales tax increase with the prison relocation.
When asked whether he would push for the local option sales tax increase, which would be allowed to the city that is ultimately chosen as the prison's new site, Becker said he "doesn't see a reason to pursue revenues beyond the revenues that (Salt Lake City) has in place today."
When asked the same question, Biskupski said if she were mayor and Salt Lake City was chosen as the new site, she would not push for a sales tax increase just because of the new prison.
"What will drive me is building a strong economy so we generate the revenue we need," Biskupski said. "If we do a sales tax increase of any sort to help pay for the infrastructure that we're so far behind on, that will be one issue. But I'm not going to pursue a sales tax increase just because we can."
