3 key primary races to watch in Salt Lake County
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There's just one more week to vote in Salt Lake County's municipal primaries.
State of play: Bluffdale, Draper, Emigration Canyon, Herriman, Holladay, Kearns, Magna, Murray, Riverton, Sandy, West Jordan and West Valley City are holding primary contests.
- Meanwhile, Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Millcreek and Midvale use ranked-choice voting, so there will be no primaries in those cities.
Zoom in: Ballots started getting mailed to voters on July 22. If you didn't receive it, Tuesday's the last day to request one.
- Voters have until Aug. 12 to drop off their ballots or vote in person.
- Recent changes to election law mean voters need to have their ballots at the county clerk's office by 8pm, so mail yours well in advance.
- Already voted? You can track your ballot here.
Here are three must-watch races:
Holladay (Mayor)
Holladay City Council member Paul Fotheringham, physician Daren Watts and private equity professional Zac Wilson are vying to lead Holladay in this three-way primary after Mayor Robert Dahle opted not to run again.
- The city's next mayor will be expected to balance commercial and residential development with environmental preservation — a longstanding issue for residents.
Riverton (Mayor)
Two Riverton City Council members, Tish Buroker and Tawnee McCay, and IT professional John Scott are competing to become Riverton's new mayor.
Catch up quick: Mayor Trent Staggs announced earlier this year that he was not seeking a third term after joining the Trump administration as a regional advocate for the U.S. Small Business Administration.
- Staggs was President Trump's pick in the 2024 GOP Senate primary to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, but he lost to then-Rep. John Curtis.
The big picture: The incoming mayor of one of the fastest-growing cities in Utah will inherit neighborhood concerns around traffic issues, rising crime and maintaining utilities and infrastructure.
West Valley City (Council At-Large)
Incumbent Lars Nordfelt is facing three primary challengers — automotive manager Ryan Mahoney, small business owner Heidi Roggenbuck and real estate and mortgage professional Justin Turcsanski — to represent one of two at-large seats in the state's second largest city.
Between the lines: After a shooting at WestFest that killed two bystanders in June, West Valley City is grappling with concerns about public safety.
- The city, one of the most racially and ethnically diverse in the state, is also looking to close health care gaps, including with the construction of a new hospital.