Becker, Buhler to face off

Said Christensen: "I am comfortable with the discussions I've had, and I'm happy with what I've said and I didn't change who I am to run this race."

The defeat is a bitter one for Wilson, who had to fight off complaints about being a working mother seeking a demanding job over this last weekend. She will, however, keep her seat on the Salt Lake County Council.

"It's hard to be the front-runner for a lot of the race," Wilson said, adding she was proud to have run a positive race. "Whether it's the woman in me or it's just part of who I am because I learned from an incredible father, ... I really had a great interest in keeping the dialogue positive."

Her father, former Salt Lake Mayor Ted Wilson, hugged his daughter as she gave her concession speech. Jenny Wilson, a Democrat like Becker, endorsed him immediately.

Anderson, no fan of Buhler, said Tuesday night: "I enthusiastically support Ralph Becker." Anderson, who supported Christensen in the primary race, said that is not because Becker is a Democrat, like Anderson.

Becker "is a very bright, hard-working, principled person who will represent our city well both inside and outside of Utah," Anderson said.

Buhler said he'll keep on talking about how he works well with all kinds of people, as he's shown for his whole political life.

The 2007 mayoral finals will be the first time since 1991 that a Democrat and a Republican face off. All other races saw two Democrats in the finals. It's a replay for Buhler, a top administrator in the state's higher education system, who in 1991 lost to former Mayor Deedee Corradini, a Democrat.

Across the Salt Lake Valley, voter turnout varied greatly. Only 3 percent of Bluffdale voters cast ballots in citywide council contests, while about 30 percent of Salt Lake City voters went to the polls.

The battle for Buhler's District 6 seat on the Salt Lake City Council will feature a pair of political newcomers, attorney Roger McConkie and small-business owner JT Martin. McConkie advanced to the general election with 39.9 percent of the vote, and Martin collected 31.5 percent.

In District 4, incumbent Nancy Saxton earned 38.9 percent of the vote in her bid for a third term on the City Council. Saxton will face a challenge from fellow Democrat Luke Garrott, a professor of political science at the University of Utah. Garrott garnered 34.2 percent of the vote.

In the other big mayoral contest, Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey will face Susan Van Hooser in the finals.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; jpage@desnews.com