Becker, Biskupski gearing up for tight mayoral race


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SALT LAKE CITY — With about two months until the general election, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and challenger Jackie Biskupski are digging in their heels for a fierce race.

While the rivals' campaigns have been relatively quiet since the primary vote, political experts say the race will heat up come Labor Day. That's when Becker will have to start throwing punches to catch up with Biskupski, who overtook him by more than 15 percent of the votes in the primary election.

"Both candidates will take their gloves off as we enter the last phase of this race," said LaVarr Webb, a political consultant who writes a column for the Deseret News. "We'll see both of them being more critical and more aggressive."

Biskupski announced Friday that she will be taking a leave of absence from her administrative position with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office starting Sept. 7 to devote more time to her campaign.

"As commitments increase, I find it necessary to take a leave in order to focus solely on the demands of the campaign," she said in a prepared statement. "I am working hard, meeting with residents of the city, business owners, and organizational representatives. Taking this time away from the sheriff's office will allow me to focus on this effort full time."

Webb said Biskupski's decision shows she's "very serious about the race." It's a sensible move, he said, especially considering she's more than $300,000 behind Becker in fundraising. The incumbant still has nearly $380,000 to spend, according to Aug. 4 campaign finance reports.

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Becker said he's not concerned about Biskupski's full-time commitment to her campaign.

"I'm working exceptionally long hours to both do my job well and campaign, and so I anticipate that to continue through the election cycle," the mayor said.

Matt Lyon, Becker's campaign spokesman, said now that the primary election has passed and there are two candidates instead of five, voters can focus more on what each can offer the city.

"It was a tough primary, with four people beating up on (Becker)," Lyon said. "Now that it's one-on-one, this campaign is going to be about who has the vision, the plan and the experience to really execute and move this city forward. I think (the mayor) wins at that conversation."

Since the primary election, both campaigns have been busy strategizing, reaching out to voters and fundraising. Lyon said Becker's campaign will launch a series of television ads next month.

Biskupski said she plans to invest more time in fundraising and meeting more people.

While some political experts have said Becker needs to get more aggressive if he wants to catch up with Biskupski, Tim Chambless, a University of Utah political science professor affiliated with the Hinkley Institute of Politics, said the mayor needs to also proceed with caution.

That's because "dirty campaigns" historically aren't successful in Utah, Chambless said. If the mayor says anything about Biskupski that voters perceive to be unfair, it could damage his campaign, he said.

The same goes for Biskupski, Chambless said.


Both candidates will take their gloves off as we enter the last phase of this race. We'll see both of them being more critical and more aggressive.

–LaVarr Webb, political consultant


"I would encourage both candidates to stay positive and talk about their plans rather than criticizing their opponents," he said.

However, Chambless noted that even though Becker has maintained a level-headed style throughout his campaign, he would benefit by showing more "passion."

"Ralph, I think, is sometimes a little too dispassionate, a little too monotone," he said. "I want to see more energy."

Becker said leading up to the general election, he plans to "aggressively" present reasons why voters should support him.

"I'm looking forward to having a fully engaged campaign for the voters to make a clear choice between who should be mayor," he said.

Biskupski said she, too, is confident in her campaign plan.

"We're running an amazing race that I'm really quite proud of," she said, "and we're going to stay on track." Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com Twitter: KatieMcKellar1

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