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Note to readers •The Salt Lake Tribune is making this story free to all. Salt Lake County residents cast their votes, and several suburbs across Utah’s most-populous county were poised to get new leaders in January. Incumbent mayors in Bluffdale, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Herriman, Midvale, Murray, Sandy, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, West Valley City and White City sought to fend off challengers in their races. Residents in Brighton, Holladay, Kearns, Magna and Riverton had to choose a newcomer to lead their suburbs. With early, unofficial results trickling in, nine out of 11 incumbents in suburbs across the Salt Lake Valley were leading. Here’s how other mayoral races across the county were shaping up: [Read more:Live results from Utah’s 2025 general election.] Bluffdale In Salt Lake County’s southernmost suburb, Mayor Natalie Hall asked voters to reelect her for a second four-year term. Former Bluffdale planning commissioner Connie Pavlakis challenged Hall for the role. Both candidates had previously worked in the city’s government. In early, unofficial returns, Hall had captured 51.1% of the vote and Pavlakis trailed with 48.9%. In a survey The Salt Lake Tribune sent to the candidates, Hall pledged to improve the community’s water system and boost public safety resources, while Pavlakis said she’d look to include residents’ voices more regularly in government. Brighton In Brighton, two candidates competed to replace Mayor Dan Knopp, who has led the mountain resort town since its incorporation in 2019. Nathaniel Dunlap has lived in Big Cottonwood Canyon for 13 years and founded a software firm in 2004, according to his campaign website. His opponent, Scotty John, manages client relations and talent acquisition for KēSTA I.T., a technology staffing and solutions company, according to his LinkedIn profile. Early returns showed John had captured 77.3% of votes, while Dunlap secured 22.7%. In a Tribune survey, Dunlap campaigned on mitigating wildfire risk, while John did not respond. Cottonwood Heights Cottonwood Heights Mayor Mike Weichers, who has led the city since 2022, faced off against Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights. Bennion has served in the Utah House since 2021. Early returns showed Bennion had 56.6%, while Weichers captured 43.5%. Weichers campaigned as a budget hawk, and told voters he has worked hard to continue to keep tax rates low; while Bennion said the east bench suburb must balance short-term growth with its long-term goals like water conservation and wildfire mitigation. Draper Draper Mayor Troy Walker ran for his fourth consecutive term. Walker, now a private attorney, used to be a lawyer in the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office and spent six years on the suburb’s City Council. An elementary school teacher, Braxten Rutherford, looked to upset Walker, vowing to make the job his sole focus if elected. Walker jumped out to a big lead in the race with 73.3% of the vote, while Rutherford trailed with 26.7%. Walker said the biggest issue the city faces is the cost of providing municipal services. He said expanding the city’s commercial base was the best way to improve its budget. Herriman In the Salt Lake Valley’s southwest corner, another incumbent mayor is facing a challenge. In this case, Lorin Palmer angled for a second term, attempting to fend off challenger Ty Brady. Brady is the CEO of a health insurance company based in Draper. Palmer served on the city’s planning commission before stepping into the mayor’s chair. In early returns, Herriman voters favored Palmer, with 74.2%, over Brady, with 25.8%. In a survey sent to the candidates, Palmer said the biggest challenge facing Herriman was misinformation, specifically around the city’s economy and growth. Brady, on the other hand, wanted to boost the suburb’s commercial tax base. Holladay Holladay City Council member Paul S. Fotheringham competed against retired OB-GYN Daren Watts in the race to lead the east-bench suburb after Mayor Robert Dahl opted against seeking reelection. Fotheringham was leading with 57.5%, according to early returns, compared to 42.5% for Watts. Fotheringham ran his campaign on preserving the suburb while renewing Holladay’s “old bones,” while Watts said he planned to emphasize local control over education if elected. Kearns Since 2018, Mayor Kelly Bush has led Kearns, guiding it through the incorporation process. Now, she’s stepping down. City residents had a choice between current council Vice Chair Tina Marie Snow and former ABC 4 journalist Jesse Valdez, who now works for the Utah Department of Corrections. Valdez held a razor-thin edge with 50.6% of votes in early returns, while Snow captured 49.4%. In a candidate survey, Snow pledged to work on keeping useful programs available to residents, while Valdez campaigned on building a more connected Kearns via neighborhood watches, civic events and community gardens. Magna An open mayor’s office, set to be vacated by Mayor Eric Barney, lured four candidates into the Magna race. District 3 council member Mick Sudbury and civics educator Alexander Adriano made it out of the August primary. Sudbury had 67.9% in early returns, while Adriano netted 32.2%. Sudbury told voters in a Tribune candidate survey that he would look to maintain the city’s essential services even as it continues growing. Adriano did not respond to the survey. Midvale In Midvale’s ranked choice election, two candidates vied to unseat current Mayor Dustin Gettel. Gettel took the city’s helm in January, two months after former Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson resigned. Brandee Boyer, a licensed clinical social worker and small-business owner, and David Fair, who works as a facilities manager, sought to replace Gettel in the race. Early returns put Gettel ahead with 63%, while Boyer and Fair trailed with 19% and 17%, respectively. Gettel said public safety was his top concern as mayor, while Fair and Boyer campaigned on investments in homelessness and community well-being. Murray Murray Mayor Brett A. Hales, who has led the suburb since 2022, faced off against Former Murray City Power operations manager Bruce E. Turner in his quest for a second term at the city’s helm. Early returns showed Hales outpacing Turner, 62.8% to 37.2%. Hales ran as a proponent of preserving “what makes Murray special,” he told The Tribune, while Turner said he would focus on lowering tax rates if elected mayor. Riverton Riverton City Council members Tish Buroker and Tawnee McCay competed in the race to lead the southwestern Salt Lake County suburb. Current MayorTrent Staggs, who was tapped to join President Donald Trump’s administration as a regional advocate with the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced earlier this year that he would not run for reelection. Buroker and McCay have served on the City Council since 2018. McCay is married to Republican state Sen. Dan McCay. Early returns put Buroker in front with about 69%, while McCay had 31%. Buroker campaigned as a proponent of continued commercial development and ensuring safety within budget constraints, while McCay campaigned as an advocate of transparency and grassroots input on local decisions. Sen. McCay said last month that he would not seek reelection if his wife were elected mayor. Sandy Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski hoped to fend off City Council member Cyndi Sharkey in her bid for another term at the suburb’s helm. Early returns showed Zoltanski in the lead with 59.3%, while Sharkey trailed with 40.7%. Zoltanski campaigned on keeping Sandy tax rates low and local businesses thriving. Sharkey agreed that affordability is one of Sandy’s biggest challenges, she said in a survey sent to candidates, and added that challenge should be solved by attracting economic growth to the suburb. South Jordan South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey sought to serve a third consecutive term as the growing suburb’s leader. She faced political newcomer Noah Barrett, an automotive technician, as a challenger. Ramsey jumped to a huge lead lead with 83% of the vote, according to early returns, while Barrett had 17%. Barrett said in a Tribune survey that he wants to make it easier for small businesses to operate in the suburb. Ramsey campaigned on her record of developing city amenities that keep up with the growth its residents are experiencing. South Salt Lake South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood has led the community for 16 years and asked voters to keep her in office for another four. She has worked for the city since she was 19. Brittany Karzen, who does public outreach for the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, aimed to bring Wood’s tenure to an end. Wood catapulted to a big advantage with 66.4% of the vote in early returns, while Karzen had 33.6%. In Wood’s view, the most important issues in South Salt Lake are ensuring public safety and addressing root causes of crime, she said in a survey. Karzen said she’d look for additional funding to help the city support the various regional facilities — like the Salt Lake County jail — that the community hosts. West Valley City In Utah’s second-most-populous city, incumbent Mayor Karen Lang campaigned for a second term against challenger June Hesleph, a state tax commission agent. Lang jumped out to a hefty lead with 76.8% of the vote, according to early returns, while Hesleph had 23.2%. Lang planned to focus on continuing neighborhood revitalization efforts if she was reelected, she wrote in a response to a Tribune survey. Hesleph, instead, hoped to better highlight the positive aspects of West Valley City and support local businesses. White City In southeastern Salt Lake County, Mayor Paulina Flint sought reelection against challenger Allan Perry, a former White City Council member. Early returns put Perry in front with 61.4% of the vote, while Flint had 38.6%.
