Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Kyle LaMalfa are divorcing
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Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and her husband, Kyle LaMalfa, are seeking a divorce after more than a decade of marriage, according to the mayor's office and public records.
Why it matters: The proceedings come as Mendenhall weighs whether to seek a third term in next year's mayoral race.
- She told Axios last week that any decision would be guided by "the best interests of both Salt Lake City and my family."
What they're saying: "I can confirm the mayor is going through a divorce. She asks for privacy while navigating this difficult situation," Andrew Wittenberg, a spokesperson for the mayor's office, said in a statement to Axios.
- Attorneys for LaMalfa didn't respond to Axios' request for comment on Monday.
The big picture: Mendenhall's decision on seeking another term could dramatically reshape the mayoral field. She's widely viewed as the frontrunner if she enters the contest.
- Multiple potential contenders — including Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and former state Sen. Derek Kitchen — recently told Axios their decisions to run could hinge on whether Mendenhall seeks reelection.
Zoom in: While Utah divorce filings are generally private, a court docket shows a petition for divorce was filed May 13. LaMalfa was listed as the petitioner and Mendenhall as the respondent.
Catch up quick: Mendenhall and LaMalfa's relationship became public in 2014 while they were both serving on the Salt Lake City Council, per Salt Lake City Weekly.
- In 2015, LaMalfa announced he wouldn't seek reelection so he could pursue his relationship with Mendenhall, the Deseret News reported.
- Mendenhall was elected mayor in 2019.
- She led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake and a hurricane-force windstorm during her first year in office.
Flashback: Mendenhall defeated former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson by roughly 24 percentage points in her 2023 reelection bid.
- She faced then-state Sen. Luz Escamilla, now Senate minority leader, in the 2019 race. Mendenhall won by about 16 percentage points.
- Escamilla confirmed to Axios last week that she intended to run for the seat again.