2012 Salt Lake County mayoral election
The 2012 Salt Lake County mayoral election was held to elect the Mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah on November 6, 2012, alongside the presidential, House of Representatives, Senate, and gubernatorial elections. This marked the fourth election to the office since the post was created in 2000.
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
|
Incumbent two-term Democratic County Mayor Peter Corroon honored his two-term pledge and did not run for a third term.[1]
During the election, despite the county voting for Republicans Mitt Romney in the presidential election, Gary Herbert in the gubernatorial and Orrin Hatch in the Senate election, Democratic State Senator Ben McAdams managed to keep the mayor's office Democratic, defeating Republican candidate, former county councilman Mark Crockett.[2]
Candidates
Democratic Party
- Ross Romero, Utah Senate Minority Leader
- Ben McAdams, Utah Senate 2nd District Senator since 2009
In the first round of delegates, McAdams won 57.4% of the vote against Romero's 42.6%. Under the party constitution, a candidate would have to get 60% of delegates' vote to win the party's nomination, otherwise they would have to face their challenger in a primary election. However, due to a newly-adopted rule, if a candidate received 57% of the vote, instead of a primary, the top two candidates would face off in a second round of balloting.
McAdams ran on working with Republicans, namely to allow Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker pass an ordinance prohibiting workplace and housing discrimination against LGBT residents of the city. Romero preferred voters "being energized by Democrats and go to the polls to vote for Democrats".[3]
McAdams defeated Romero in the second round, winning 62% of the vote against Romero's 38%.[4][5]
Eliminated at convention
- Gary Ott, county recorder[6]
- Richard Snelgrove, county councilman at-large, chairman of Salt Lake County GOP and Utah GOP[7]
- Merrill Cook, Utah's 2nd congressional district representative 1997-2001, 2004 candidate[8]
- Larry Decker, county auditor's office internal auditor[9]
Advanced to runoff
- Mike Winder, Mayor of West Valley City, Utah
- Mark Crockett, former Salt Lake County councilman (2005-2008)[10]
Republican runoff election
The runoff election was held on June 26, 2012.[12]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Mark Crockett | 38,387 | 50.67 | |
Republican | Mike Winder | 37,368 | 49.33 | |
Total votes | 75,755 | 100 |
Polling
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Ben McAdams |
Mark Crockett |
Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deseret News/KSL | Sep. 26-29, 2012 | ± 5% | 37% | 40% | 21% | |
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. | Oct. 22-28, 2012 | 625 | ± 4% | 43% | 44% | 13% |
Deseret News/KSL | Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2012 | 523 | ± 4.3% | 44% | 41% | 12% |
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ben McAdams | 203,170 | 54.47% | -11.31% | |
Republican | Mark Crockett | 169,418 | 45.42% | +13.3% | |
Write-ins | 389 | 0.10% | +0.04% | ||
Total votes | 372,977 | 100% | +4.77% |
References
- Cortez, Marjorie (2012-12-23). "Peter Corroon says his legacy is restoring public trust in county government". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Patterson, Kelly (2012-11-20). "How did Ben McAdams win?". Utah Data Points. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Peterson, Eric S. "McAdams Clinches Democrats' Nomination for County Mayor". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Fidel, Steve (2012-04-14). "Ben McAdams wins Democratic nomination for Salt Lake County mayor race". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Roche, Lisa Riley (2012-04-14). "Mark Crockett, Mike Winder on GOP primary ticket for Salt Lake County mayor; Democrat Ben McAdams wins nomination". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- "Politics Up Close: Love Runs for Congress, Ott for Mayor". KCPW. 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Fidel, Steve (2011-11-18). "Richard Snelgrove will run for Salt Lake County mayor". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Fidel, Steve (2012-03-14). "Merrill Cook announces candidacy for Salt Lake County mayor". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Fidel, Steve (2012-04-12). "Crowded Salt Lake County mayor's contest among races that will thin in Saturday's partisan conventions". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Fidel, Steve (2012-01-06). "Mark Crockett entering Salt Lake County mayoral race". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Roche, Lisa Riley (2012-04-14). "Mark Crockett, Mike Winder headed to GOP primary in county mayor's race". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- Page, Jared (2012-07-10). "Mark Crockett defeats Mike Winder in vote tally, will face Ben McAdams in November for S.L. Co. mayor". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- "ELECTION RESULTS". slco.org.
- Romero, McKenzie (2012-09-25). "McAdams, Crockett headed into full debate schedule". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- "SL County Mayoral Candidates Debate on KCPW". KCPW. 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
- "GEMS ELECTION RESULTS". slco.org. Retrieved 2020-08-17.