Late Wednesday afternoon Luz Escamilla conceded defeat in the Salt Lake City mayor’s race, leaving Erin Mendenhall as the winner.
After election night, Mendenhall led Escamilla by 5,820 votes, or just over 17-percentage points. On Wednesday afternoon the Salt Lake County Clerk announced there were just over 9,700 ballots left to count in Salt Lake City. It is highly unlikely that Escamilla would be able to secure enough votes to overcome Mendenhall’s lead.
Shortly after, Escamilla conceded defeat.
“I’ve met so many incredible Salt Lakers during this campaign,” said Escamilla in a statement. “East siders care about the west side and west siders care about the east side. In these times when we see so many divisions, it’s a reaffirmation of our great city to see we all care about each other.”
Mendenhall declared victory shortly thereafter saying she would continue to work with Escamilla on issues important to Salt Lake City.
“Luz is a dedicated public servant and a true champion for Salt Lake City. I look forward to working in partnership with her to move our city forward,” said Mendenhall.
Pre-election polling from UtahPolicy.com and Y2 Analytics gave Mendenhall a double-digit lead ahead of Tuesday’s election.
