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SALT LAKE CITY — Democrat Natalie Pinkney declared victory in the race for Salt Lake County Council At-Large C seat Friday night, after the latest round of counted ballots put the narrow race out of reach for Republican Rachelle Morris.
"I am so grateful to all of my supporters who made this victory possible," Pinkney posted on the social platform X. "Together we have taken our first step towards a bold future — a future where every family no matter where they live or how they look will have an opportunity to thrive."
Morris said she called to congratulate Pinkney for her win and said the opponents have plans to meet for lunch to celebrate the win and share insights.
"I have learned so much from the good people of Salt Lake County," Morris told KSL.com via text Saturday. "I love our county and look forward to building community in new ways over the coming years."
Pinkney led Morris by just shy of 7,000 votes as of Tuesday afternoon, when the county previously updated results of the Nov. 5 election. Her lead expanded to 7,871 votes as of late Friday evening, with an estimated 7,659 ballots still in process, according to the Salt Lake County clerk.
Pinkney was optimistic Friday morning but refrained from declaring victory before she had certainty.
"I haven't declared anything because I want to wait until every vote is counted," she told KSL.com. "I do know people want to wait until every ballot is dropped before they come to a conclusion, and I think that's valid. I respect that."
Morris, on the other hand, was aware of the slim odds she faced but was hopeful that the remaining provisional and uncured ballots would break her way.
"I don't feel as confident about my odds as I did a week ago, but there's still a path to victory," she said Friday afternoon. "The results of this race are not a reflection on me as a candidate and human, but a reflection on how nearly half a million people are casting a ballot in this race and my job is just be prepared for any outcome. ... I think it's really awesome that in Salt Lake County there are races — including mine — that demonstrate that every single vote matters."
Jenny Wilson wins reelection
Meanwhile, Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson has maintained a nearly 50,000-vote margin over Republican Erin Rider as she will win reelection to another four-year term. Although Wilson's margin has shrunk slightly since early results were posted last week, she is on track to earn just shy of 55% of the vote in the county.
"Not all races go as you'd like, but every race is an adventure," Rider posted last week. "I'm so grateful to those who took a chance on me as we worked tirelessly to try to bring change to Salt Lake County. Now that this adventure is over, I'll be looking ahead to the next one, wherever that may lead!"
The Salt Lake Board of Canvassers will meet to certify the results on Tuesday, and the statewide canvass is Nov. 25.
