SALT LAKE CITY — It will not be official for two weeks, but election results so far indicate Salt Lake City, the capital of conservative Utah, is poised to elect its first openly gay mayor — narrowly — in what would mark another milestone for an LGBT movement that has made major strides in a state with a long history of hostility to gays and lesbians.
Former state lawmaker Jackie Biskupski is leading two-term incumbent Ralph Becker by 1,450 votes, according to election results released late Tuesday night.
But nearly 24,000 ballots from across the county need to be counted, including an unknown amount in the mayor’s race, Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen said. She said about 20 members of her staff were sorting ballots Wednesday.
Biskupski spokeswoman Maryann Martindale said they have analyzed the results and don’t foresee any scenario where Becker can make up the deficit. But Martindale said they understand why Becker isn’t conceding.
Becker spokesman Matt Lyon said Wednesday that they recognize there’s a lot of ground to make up, but that a comeback is still possible. At his Tuesday night election watch party, Becker acknowledged Biskupski’s lead and congratulated her on a strong race. But he noted the winner was still unclear.
By state law, no more results will be released until the final canvass Nov. 17.
If Biskupski wins, it would serve as a statement that Utah is a place where LGBT and non-LGBT people can work together, Martindale said.
“If Utah can do it, anybody can do it,” Martindale said.
The climate has changed drastically since 1998, when Biskupski was elected to Utah’s House of Representatives, becoming the state’s first openly gay state lawmaker. At the time, conservative activists urged the House speaker not to swear her in, arguing she likely was breaking the state’s sodomy laws.
“There were several legislators who wouldn’t even look me in the eye — certainly wouldn’t shake my hand,” Biskupski said.
