Mayor wins by healthy margin

Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson won a second term Tuesday in a healthy victory over challenger Frank Pignanelli as up and down the state citizens in 237 cities and towns went to the polls.

Final but unofficial tallies showed Anderson with 54 percent of the vote to Pignanelli's 46 percent — a larger victory than weekend newspaper polls indicated was coming.

Cold, snowy weather along the Wasatch Front gave way to clear skies but frigid temperatures as tens of thousands of voters picked their local government leaders and cast ballots on propositions and referendums.

There was a surprise win in Provo's council race. Steve Turley, who billed himself as "Mr. Nobody" during the campaign, beat incumbent Stan Lockhart.

Also, incumbent Mark Hathaway lost to Cynthia Dayton. Midge Johnson, also a newcomer, beat longtime city government gadfly Melanie McCoard for the District. No. 3 seat.

Shari Holweg, a former councilwoman, also lost a bid for elected office. Holweg attempted to force a postponement of the election through a lawsuit. Her suit, which was curtly dismissed three times by Provo judges, claimed Provo violated state election laws.

In southern Utah, LaVerkin residents voted down a referendum that would have banned the U.N. flag from city property, stopped the United Nations from stationing any personnel in the city and prohibited the international organization from taxing city residents. Councilman Al Snow, who got the referendum on the ballot but was dumped in last month's primary, said, "You can't blame me. I tried" to keep the United Nations out of LaVerkin.

In Ogden, first-term Mayor Matthew Godfrey easily defeated Councilman Jesse Garcia in the mayor's race, even though the state Democratic Party tried to turn out the vote for Garcia, a Democrat, in the nonpartisan contest.

And in Holladay, one of the state's newest cities, voters picked Dennis Webb over Bob Neslen to be their new part-time mayor.

All three Salt Lake City Council members seeking re-election won: Dave Buhler, Nancy Saxton and Val Blair Turner. The 48 percent voter turnout in Salt Lake City is considered fair but not outstanding, and perhaps could have been driven down by the poor weather.

The Salt Lake mayor's ballot-counting was close from the get-go after polls closed at 8 p.m. But as the night wore on, Anderson's lead widened.