Carlsen holds strong lead in Salt Lake City's District 5 race
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Erika Carlsen. Courtesy of Erika Carlsen
Community activist Erika Carlsen held a strong lead Wednesday morning in the Salt Lake City Council race, taking 66% of the vote compared to longtime Ballpark Community Council chair Amy Hawkins' 31%
Why it matters: If Carlsen's lead holds, she will become the newest of the seven-member Salt Lake City Council, replacing District 5 incumbent Darin Mano, who was appointed in 2020 after Erin Mendenhall was elected mayor.
Catch up quick: Carlsen, co-founder of the Ballpark Action Team, a nonprofit that advocates for the neighborhood, launched her campaign in January with Mano's backing and a pledge to knock on every door in the district.
- Carlsen also amassed about $103,000 and spent around $76,000 in expenditures, according to recent campaign finance records.
What they're saying: "I started this campaign because I love my neighborhood," Carlsen told a crowd of supporters at her election night watch party at Publik Coffee Roasters, where she declared victory shortly after initial results were released.
- "The election is over but a lot of important decisions for the Ballpark neighborhood and Salt Lake City are still to come and I hope to work together on them," Hawkins said in a statement to Axios, adding that Carlsen ran a "strong campaign."
The big picture: District 5, which includes Ballpark, Central Ninth, East Liberty Park and Liberty Wells, is undergoing sweeping changes after the minor league baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees, departed for South Jordan this year.
By the numbers: Security officer Vance Hansen received 3% of the vote, as of the latest ballot tally.
- This isn't Hansen's and Hawkins' first time running for the seat. In 2021, they both fell to Mano by wide margins.
Zoom out: Meanwhile, City Council incumbents Chris Wharton, who represents District 3, and Victoria Petro, who represents District 1, maintained leads, receiving 50% and 52% of the vote, respectively, according to preliminary results.