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Richard Piatt ReportingThe candidates running for Salt Lake City mayor are competing for endorsements this week. Both Rocky Anderson and Frank Pignanelli are lining up supporters to back them and hopefully snag a few voters along the way.
Today Rocky Anderson got a bunch of endorsements all at once. Yesterday Frank Pignanelli got the majority of city council members to back him. Will it matter? The candidates think it will.
Rocky Anderson's backers packed a lot of people all at once: Labor unions, the Sierra Club, members of the Hispanic caucus, Stonewall Democrats. (NOTE: A majority of the the Hispanic caucus endorses Frank Pignanelli)
Pignanelli has the backing of government insiders, like the majority of city council members, and we understand, key Salt Lake City legislators.
But while the candidates bask in the limelight with influential backers a their side, what's shaping up is a race that may be too close to call. And endorsements may be important.
Frank Pignanelli, Candidate For Mayor: "You have not one person in the city council saying they want Mayor Anderson to continue in office. This is a strong statement that there needs to be a change in how Salt Lake City is governed."
Rocky Anderson, Salt Lake City Mayor: "Is the importance of tenacious, independent strong leadership in the mayor's office. That's not a place for a go along get along kind of person who's not going to make the kind of progress."
Speaking of endorsements: What about one from the third candidate eliminated in the primary--Molonai Hola? Both Anderson and Pignanelli are pushing hard to get that valuable thumbs up. But today, Hola said he isn't planning to endorse either, mostly because they both have a more Democratic vision than he does.
If he changes his mind, that's one endorsement that could make a huge difference, since he snagged 24 percent of the vote.
