• Democrat Peter Corroon won the county mayor's race last year by 21,000 votes, carrying a three-way race with 49 percent of the vote.

• Republicans lost a seat on the County Council, with Democrat Jenny Wilson defeating at-large incumbent GOP Councilman Steve Harmsen by 14,000 votes, 50.8 percent to 46.8 percent.

If Republicans lose one more seat on the County Council in 2006, they lose control of the council and Democrats will rule in Salt Lake County for the first time in a decade.

It's those county races — as well as a handful of legislative contests — that county Republicans must hold, party leaders say.

Thirty of the 75 state House seats are in Salt Lake County. Democrats and Republicans split those, 15-15.

Twelve of the 29 state Senate seats are based in the county. (Several districts poke into surrounding counties.) Democrats hold seven of those 12 seats; Democrats hold only one non-Salt Lake County seat in the Senate.

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