Hanging tough: Workman vows to carry on in doomed campaign

The Deseret Morning News reported Saturday that in addition to the felony charges, Workman required top county bosses to pay a former boyfriend of her daughter $7,500 for admitted "uncompleted" computer consulting work several years ago. No charges have been filed against Workman in connection with that allegation.

New poll

A new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll by Dan Jones & Associates found Workman has 18 percent support among Salt Lake voters. Corroon has 49 percent and Cook has 14 percent.

The poll also showed 65 percent of respondents believe Workman should step down as a candidate and allow the Republican party to find a new candidate.

Also, 48 percent of those polled said they would definitely or probably support a Republican write-in candidate for county mayor.

The poll of 387 Salt Lake County voters was taken Sept. 28-Oct 4. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

"I'm convinced that (Workman) cannot win," Ivory said Tuesday.

He said he's running on the "four no's," saying if he wins he will serve with "no salary, no county car, no county credit card, and I won't take any campaign contributions."

Workman's administration was rocked this spring by a county car/credit card scandal, although Workman herself was not directly involved.

"I'll pay for this race myself," the multimillionaire said, noting he has time to serve now because he turned his business over to his son three years ago.

"I know I'd do a good job as mayor. The question is, can I put together enough good people and support to win a write-in campaign," he said.

Jim Bennett, son of U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett; advertising man Evan Twede; and campaign consultant Spencer Stokes — all GOP operatives who have worked for Sen. Bennett previously — are organizing the write-in campaign.

Ivory is a member of the Deseret Morning News board of directors. Ivory told John Hughes, the newspaper's editor and chief operating officer, that he was taking a leave of absence from the board while running his race and that he would no longer serve on the board if elected.

New candidate's critics

Corroon said Ivory is a rich Johnny-come-lately who is trying to buy the election.

Cook, who has styled himself as "a Republican running as an independent" and who assiduously cultivated the Republican vote in the wake of Workman's troubles, failed to garner much support at the central committee meeting.

"Merrill Cook did not run as a Republican," one member said. "He opposed our candidate. He says we should go with the second choice, (but) he was not our second choice."