Your guide to each Salt Lake City race
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This year's Salt Lake City elections will see a three-way mayoral race and 10 candidates vying for four City Council seats.
Details: To learn more about each candidate, Axios Salt Lake City sent each contender running in a local race this November a questionnaire to tell us about themselves and how they would approach the dwindling Great Salt Lake, the city's homelessness crisis and more.
What's next: The general election is slated for Nov. 21.
- Mail-in ballots will be sent out beginning Oct. 31.
Be smart: Check our handy guide to ranked-choice voting.
Salt Lake City mayor
Rocky Anderson
The candidate: Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is gearing up for his third try at leading the state's capital city.
- He previously served two terms as mayor between 2000 and 2008.
Erin Mendenhall (incumbent)
Meet the candidate: First-time Mayor Erin Mendenhall is facing two challengers as she runs to secure a second term.
- Before being elected in 2019, she served on the Salt Lake City Council for six years and was an environmental activist.
Michael Valentine
The candidate: Michael Valentine is a small business owner and activist who advocated for the conservation of the historic Utah Pantages Theatre before it was torn down last year.
Salt Lake City Council — District 2
Alejandro "Ale" Puy (incumbent)
The candidate: Alejandro Puy is the only candidate running uncontested this year's municipal elections. Elected in 2019, he's the co-founder of the political consulting firm Landslide Political.
Salt Lake City Council — District 4
Eva López Chávez
The candidate: Eva López Chávez is a consultant to businesses and nonprofits. She previously worked as a liaison for the Salt Lake City mayor's office and was chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party.
Clayton Scrivner
The candidate: Clayton Scrivner is Park City's communications manager. He previously managed marketing and communications for Salt Lake County's Parks Department and Salt Lake City's civic engagement team.
Ana Valdemoros (incumbent)
The candidate: Ana Valdemoros has represented District 4 on the Salt Lake City Council since 2019. She's worked as a planner for the city and then with urban development nonprofit, NeighborWorks.
- As a restaurateur, Valdemoros launched Argentina's Best Empanadas in 2016 and the Square Kitchen, an incubator, in 2018.
Salt Lake City Council — District 6
James Alfandre
The candidate: James Alfandre is the founding principal of the development group Urban Alfandre. He's also a board member of the Granary District Alliance, per his campaign website.
Dan Dugan (incumbent)
Meet the candidate: Dan Dugan, a U.S. Navy veteran, was first elected to the City Council in 2020. He is the vice chair the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City board.
Taymour Semnani
The candidate: Taymour Semnani is a civil litigation attorney and currently serves on the Salt Lake City Police Foundation board of directors.
Jack Bellows
Of note: Jack Bellows did not respond to multiple requests to fill out our questionnaire.
Salt Lake City Council — District 7
Molly Jones
The candidate: Molly Jones co-owns the Quarters Arcade Bar locations in Sugar House and downtown. She previously worked as the director of public policy and events for the Berkeley mayor's office in California.
Sarah Young (incumbent)
Meet the candidate: Sarah Young was appointed to represent District 7 in July after her predecessor Amy Fowler resigned after getting arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
- Young works at the Utah State Board of Education as chief of staff to the state superintendent.