Religion is likely to play big part in S.L. contests

Councilwoman Jill Remington Love, who is running unopposed in District 5, was the only council member to cast a vote against the church during the past four years.

Mayor Rocky Anderson, who according to exit polls secured 81 percent of Salt Lake City's non-LDS vote in 2003, has openly wondered if some council members are more apt to vote their religion than not. Expressing his frustration, the mayor has called for more diversity, including religious diversity, on the council.

Leslie Benns beat a similar drum in west-side District 1, where she's taking on incumbent Carlton Christensen. She has questioned why a LDS Republican should represent a district that is politically liberal and religiously diverse.

"We need to empower the neighborhood and not the church," she said.

Benns faces three other challengers in District 1 and at least two are LDS. Terry Jessop and Arnold Jones, who hopes to parlay his council run into a successful Democratic presidential bid in 2008 (www.arnoldjonesforpresident2008.com), agree that religion should stay out of the race.

And other LDS candidates insist they are objective and leave their faith outside of government.

"I can't imagine (religion) will affect any decisions I would make," said District 7 candidate Deedra Hansen Lambert, another Sugar House mom who has sought campaign strategy from Salt Lake County Democratic Party Chairwoman Megan Risbon.

Soren Simonsen, an LDS Democrat running in District 7, thinks likewise.

"Certainly, my religious conviction won't guide me in making decisions, but I will do what I think is in the best interest of the community," he said.

In Salt Lake City, LDS Church members make up about 45 percent of the city's population, and politics often center on church and state issues, especially since the LDS Church owns so much property in downtown Salt Lake City.

Not every LDS candidate wants to avoid church and state discussions. Mark Dalton, another District 7 candidate, said he welcomes discussions on LDS influence.

"It's healthy to discuss it," he said. "By pushing it under the rug, it's difficult to come to a common consensus."

---

E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com