Elections don't get tighter than this: A Salt Lake man won a seat on the school board by one vote.

"I'll take it," said victor Alama Uluave, who squeaked by community activist Michael Clara to claim the open seat representing the city's west side. "It's been a roller coaster, a nail-biter . . . I'm glad it's over."

On Election Day, it appeared the Tongan-to-English interpreter for Salt Lake City School District beat Clara by six votes.

But those were unofficial results and didn't include provisional ballots.

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen dubbed the race too close to call.

Tuesday, Swensen found Uluave, who tutors neighborhood children in math, had won the election by three votes.

A Wednesday morning recount cut the margin of victory to a single vote.

"There is nothing easy about losing," said Clara, a member of the Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee to the State Board of Education. "(But) the loss would have been easier if I lost by 100 or 200."

Still, Clara says the close race shows both men are equally passionate about their schools and community. He's confident Uluave will follow through on important issues.

"The good thing is I know people now at the district, and I know the new school board member," Clara said. "I just spoke to him this morning and he invited me to be sure and stay in touch with him and work with him on issues that I feel are important and need to be addressed, and I will obviously do that."

Close races aren't unheard of in Salt Lake County, Swensen said. A 2001 Taylorsville City Council race was decided by three votes, and a Draper City Council seat came down to five. Last year, a South Jordan City Council election was determined by a single vote.

"Sometimes, these small jurisdictions get real close," Swensen said. "I guess that shows how every vote counts."

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