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Richard Piatt Reporting It is the final push before the primary election in Utah and pressure is building in one of the most expensive and high profile races in the state: the contest for Salt Lake City mayor.
It is the most familiar of the last minute campaign tactics, the honk and wave on the street corner.
To Jenny Wilson, it's a wise way to use her time to get her face out there and to drum up votes. "It's all voter contact and visibility. We go out and have our honk and waves. I spend time on the phone. We're working phone banks. I'm working with the volunteers to keep them energized," she said.
According to last week's Dan Jones poll for KSL and the Deseret Morning News, Wilson is in a three way dead heat right now with rivals Dave Buhler and Ralph Becker. It has all three a little jumpy in these last hours.
Becker calmed the pace a little with a group of supporters, including Norma Matheson, for lunch, his first meal of the day. "This race is neck and neck and neck among all three of us, and it's going to depend on who gets their people out to vote tomorrow," he said.
Another tried and true campaign tactic is going door to door. Dave Buhler is taking on that task this day before the election. All the candidates know personal contact counts. "A lot of people are following it, I'm finding. They say, ‘Oh, it's already close' or ‘we've already voted' or ‘I support you.' So I get good response from people," Buhler said.
Candidate Keith Christensen's campaign is also working against the clock right now. He's not pleased with recent polls that show him fourth in the race.
Still hopeful, Christensen says he's ready for the primary election. "It's time the voters go to the polls and make a decision. I hope they'll go and I hope they focus on the differences between the candidates. There are significant differences," he said.
Turnout is expected to be about 25 percent, that's about average according to the Salt Lake County Clerk.
But, of course, the candidates are hoping for much more than average for this race.
