LGBTQ candidates fare well in Utah elections

At least nine openly LGBTQ candidates were looking for municipal offices this year, including in city council and mayoral elections. Six of the candidates won the election, all for the city council elections. Most are in Salt Lake City, but others ran in less advanced areas like Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Springdale. Here is a rundown of how they fared, based on preliminary results available from the district officials.

Salt Lake City

Longstanding gay lawyer Alejandro “Ale” Puy appears to have won its seat in Salt Lake City Council District 2 with 58 percent of the vote. District 2 is on the West Side of Salt Lake City, and Puy has focused on finding solutions to problems affecting one of the most marginalized parts of the city. As an immigrant from Argentina, he says he is a “new American” who understands the challenges many face and can relate to the problems of his district.

“The west side of Salt Lake used to be the place where those who couldn’t fit in boxes lived. People of color, immigrants, different religions and LGBTQ + people live in the West because they don’t feel judged and accepted, ”he said in an interview.

“As a person of color, an immigrant and even queer, I feel at home here in this area. I am fortunate to be able to connect with my neighbors because of the intersectionality of my identities and because we share similar hopes and frustrations. This area of ​​Salt Lake City has felt historically forgotten, many felt left behind or unimportant. This area is very Latin American and diverse, but has always been represented by white cis men who only asked other white voters for support, ”he continued. “Because of my identity, I feel obliged to improve the community and help those who have lost hope. My connection to this district drives me to do more and I believe it is a benefit to my campaign. “

Amy Fowler received 65 percent of the vote and thus secured her re-election. Fowler was elected to the city council in 2017 to represent the Sugar House area.

In 2013 she co-founded the LGBT and Allied Lawyers of Utah. She is currently Chair of the City Council and Chair of the National League of Cities – Large Cities Council.

Fowler says membership in the LGBTQ + community didn’t bother her at all.

“While there may be people who don’t want to vote for me because of my personality, this is their choice and I wouldn’t change their mind anyway,” she said. “I was taught to stand up for myself and the people around me, and I do.

When she left Utah to go to college in 1996, she hadn’t come out and thought she would not be accepted into the state.

“When I returned to Salt Lake 12 years later, it was the LGBTQ + community leaders who made me realize what a great city we live in,” she said. “You have been fighting and working for the rights of our community since I knew it! I am so grateful to live in such a great place and even more honored to represent District 7 and the LGBTQ + community for the past four years. I’m looking forward to the next four years. “

Salt Lake City Councilor Chris Wharton won re-election for his seat in District 3 against 2 opponents. Wharton was first elected in 2017 after serving two terms on the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission. He is an attorney who has won many cases affecting the Utah LGBTQ community – most recently a monumental case before the Utah Supreme Court regarding gender markers for transgender people.

Wharton served on the board of directors of the Utah Pride Center and has donated hundreds of service hours to the ACLU of Utah, Rainbow Law Clinic, Equality Utah, and the Utah State Bar.

In it Mano defeated 4 challengers with 51 percent of the vote. Mano was selected to replace Erni Mendenhall when she left the city council to take on her duties as mayor. District 5 includes the Ballpark, Central Ninth, and Liberty Wells neighborhoods.

In June, Mano returned from a door-to-door advertisement and found a hateful email from Utah Assistant Attorney General Steven Wuthrich.

“On a fine Saturday afternoon, my wife and my lodger were all having a nice siesta when some bloody ignorant son of a bitch rang our doorbell and your piece of shit put unsolicited advertisements in our door, waking the dogs and waking us up and the neighbors in an uproar “, Wuthrich wrote. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are never elected to higher office as a dog catcher. I hate you. I hate your family I hate our lawyers. I hate your contributors. I hate your sponsors. Please die and go to hell, motherfucker !!! “

Wuthrich later apologized, saying he had “regretted the cruelty and language of this email. My words were rude and unprofessional. Personally, I apologize to the Salt Lake City Council, Darin Mano and his family. “

Mano posted the email on his Facebook page.

“As an Asian American and a member of the LGBTQ + community, I have to stand up against hate speech and shout it out when I see it. As a councilor and candidate, it is my duty to reach out to my constituents, listen to what is important to them, and make informed decisions. There is no place for hatred in our city, ”he wrote.

“I think the line that hit me the most,” Mano told The Salt Lake Tribune, “was ‘I hate your family,’ because in the materials I turned in there is a photo of mine Partner and our children shows. … We are a family that is a bit outside of typical Utah. “

Sarah Reale lost Mano and received 24 percent of the vote. She ran on a platform representing the district, not on her own beliefs.

“In a representative democracy, it is the job of the elected officials to represent their district. The best leader is someone who can put his self-interest aside and lead it fairly. I’m not interested in party politics, ”said Reale. “As an empathetic manager and a good listener, I will represent all interests. With the promise to be authentic and transparent, I will listen and learn from the people I represent – and always tell the truth. “

Reale said she was inspired by “local gay women in office or managerial positions”.

“When you see people like you, that gives you ambition and hope that you can do the same. I hope to always be an advocate, mentor and supporter of the LGBTQ community by showing empathy, understanding, support, listening and transparency, ”she said. “I am gay, Italian, and educator with three younger sisters, and I was in a student association. I don’t run away when faced with challenges. And the adversities I have been exposed to in my life make me resilient and able to have tough conversations. “

Ogden

Ogden City CouncilorMarcia White easily beat her opponent when she proposed for re-election. She was first elected to the Council in 2013 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Council.

Since her election, she has invested in a vibrant and growing city, supporting public safety and promoting excellence in government, including transparency, communication and solid financial sustainability.

Midvale

Dustin Gettel received over 70 percent of the vote for re-election as Midvale City Councilor. He moved to Utah from Pennsylvania with his partner in 2015 and quickly fell in love with his fast-changing Midvale community. Dustin decided to challenge the incumbent city council member based on problems he saw in Midvale and won by more than 20 percentage points.

Since then, Gettel has campaigned for progressive causes such as paid parental leave for city workers, banning puppy mills across town, improving walking and cycling, and formal recognition of LGBTQ Pride Month and Transgender Memorial Day.

Gettel says he is proud to be one of the few, if not only, openly gay men elected outside of Salt Lake City.

Southern salt lake

South Salt Lake candidate for mayoral Jake Christensen lost his offer to oust incumbent Cherie Wood. Wood received certification from Equality Utah. Both received an “A” grade in the group survey.

Christensen hoped, as a gay man, to bring compassion to the table.

“I think the world we live in makes it safe to say that many members of the LGBTQIA + community have heightened empathy. We know how important it is to listen and we have seen that others do not understand our personal reality, ”he said in an interview. “In my opinion, it is these qualities that we need more of in civic leadership – especially here in Utah.”

He urged the city’s LGBTQ community to get involved and help him choose.

“With Salt Lake City perhaps the only exception, LGBTQIA + people are extremely underrepresented in Utah and the nation,” he said. “The problem is, I feel like our community could be a lot better at getting on the polls. We don’t vote enough. Too many of my queer friends have never voted. We all have a responsibility to show up if we want to see our fundamental freedoms preserved and preserved. And if you think the work already done is sufficient, you are wrong. We need your voice. “

Springdale

In Springdale, Utah, former councilor Mark chambers was in a close race for the mayor, missing 21 votes to win. The election drew 257 voters in the city of 514 people, according to the 2020 census. Chambers won just under 40 percent of the vote in the August primaries. His closest competitor in the 4-way race won 36.84 percent.

Chambers ran for mayor’s office in 2013 and lost by just eight votes.

“I was eight votes ahead of Springdale Mayor,” Chambers wrote on his Facebook page at the time. “Thanks to everyone who supported me and Joe during this election. Even though I lost, I am enjoying the experience. Remember, getting involved in your community and your elections is important, you can make a difference. “

Chambers moved from Salt Lake City to Springdale with husband Joe Pitti in 2012 and opened Under the Eaves Bed and Breakfast.

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