Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson will lead Utah’s most populous county for another four years.
As of Friday, Wilson, a Democrat, had captured 55.5% of the vote over Republican challenger Erin Rider in her bid for a second full term.
Wilson jumped out to an early lead Tuesday as first returns were posted, gaining a convincing enough advantage to declare victory on election night.
“Thank you for your trust, Salt Lake County,” she posted Wednesday on Facebook. “I am humbled by voters’ decisive support and am energized to continue working hard to make Salt Lake County an even better place to live for everyone. The challenges we face don’t care whether we’re Republicans, Democrats, or independents, and neither do I.”
After watching unofficial returns roll in for three days, Rider, who initially resisted conceding defeat, called it quits on X, formerly Twitter, late Friday afternoon.
“Not all races go as you’d like, but every race is an adventure,” Rider wrote. “I’m so grateful to those who took a chance on me as we worked tirelessly to try to bring change to Salt Lake County. Now that this adventure is over, I’ll be looking ahead to the next one, wherever that may lead!”
Wilson became Salt Lake County’s first female Democratic mayor in January 2019 after serving 10 years on the County Council. She replaced former Democratic Mayor Ben McAdams when he left the position to represent Utah’s 4th Congressional District, and was elected in 2020 to a full four-year term.
