Fresh face to join Salt Lake City Council, but familiar ones score initial election leads

SALT LAKE CITY — A large cheer erupted as the first results of Tuesday's election flashed on a screen inside Publik Coffee Roasters, showing that Salt Lake City Councilman Chris Wharton had opened to a large enough lead that his campaign quickly claimed victory.

"I'm honored, humbled and thrilled to have earned the trust of District 3 to continue serving you on the City Council," said Wharton, who has overseen the district that includes Salt Lake City's Avenues, Capitol Hill, Federal Heights, Guadalupe and Marmalade neighborhoods since he was first elected in 2017.

"While we've made progress on the most pressing issues, from housing affordability to public safety, to air quality and more, there's still a lot of work to be done, and I'm excited to continue leading the way with forward-looking solutions," he added.

While one new face will join the Salt Lake City Council in 2026, the majority of the governing body is slated to remain during a pivotal time in the city's history.

Salt Lake City Councilwoman Sarah Young won reelection for District 7 (Sugar House), running unopposed in her first shot at a four-term election. Her uncontested race guaranteed that the City Council would retain a majority of returning faces next year.

However, Wharton ended the night with 44% of the vote in the city's crowded District 3 race, 20 percentage points ahead of Blake McClary, his nearest opponent in the five-candidate race. He remained on pace to win in the third round of a ranked-choice vote runoff after the final county results of the night.

District 1 incumbent Victoria Petro also opened with a lead, but in a much closer race. She still celebrated as the results came in, showing her holding a narrow 198-vote edge over challenger Stephen Otterstrom in the district that features the city's Fairpark, Jordan Meadows, Rose Park and Westpointe neighborhoods. It wasn't immediately clear how many ballots were left to be counted in her district, but her lead narrowed to 148 votes by the end of the night.

Meanwhile, Erika Carlsen, cofounder of the Ballpark Action Committee, secured 66% of the initial vote in District 5, the seat vacated by Salt Lake City Councilman Darin Mano, who opted not to seek reelection. Her election campaign also claimed victory Tuesday night for the district that includes Ballpark, Central Ninth, East Liberty and Liberty Wells neighborhoods.

"I am deeply grateful to be trusted with the opportunity to serve as the next Salt Lake City council member for the people of District 5. ... (Residents) are looking for representation that is deeply grounded in community, that listens to residents' needs and brings their priorities to City Hall," she said.

What the results mean moving forward

Tuesday's election followed yet another busy year for Salt Lake City, both the state's largest and fastest-growing city.

• Housing remains a key issue in the city, and the City Council approved a zoning consolidation and more affordable housing funds this year to address the city's housing shortage, among other things.
• Affordability beyond housing has also become a big concern, largely as public utilities rise to pay for a new water treatment plant and other required infrastructure.
• Public safety emerged as a key topic over the past year, as well, especially after state officials pressured the city about homelessness and crime issues ahead of the 2025 legislative session.
• There was a legislative push to study city-approved traffic calming measures this year, too, partially fueled by residents' concerns.
• The City Council finalized the financing mechanism for downtown redevelopment in an agreement with Smith Entertainment Group, Salt Lake County and the state earlier this year, adding to a key issue from 2024 that included a 0.5% sales tax increase.
• Salt Lake City is also expected to begin preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the coming years, which could include projects that drastically change the city over the next decade.

Wharton views Tuesday's results as a sign that the residents generally support how the City Council is handling these issues. If the results stand, he believes it would be helpful to have many familiar faces so that members are on the same page as their discussions on complex issues continue, while Carlsen and the new members from the 2023 election still offer fresh ideas on these topics.

Young believes it would help, too, but she doesn't expect there will be too much time spent getting new members up to speed on current issues.

Either way, many of the recent issues aren't going away anytime soon. At the same time, Salt Lake County is proposing a tax increase after Salt Lake City officials warned a property tax increase could be on the horizon during its last budget process. There are also many questions as to how federal and state budget adjustments will trickle down to the city.

"Maybe that's part of the reason why people felt like they did want to support incumbents at the city level because there are a lot of changes happening at the federal and state level," Wharton told KSL.com. "There are a lot of institutions and services ... that the city or local governments are going to have to step in and help pick up the pieces."

Related topics