Incumbent Jergensen survives Salt Lake vote

Incumbent Salt Lake City Councilman Eric Jergensen survived a challenge from 23-year-old Janneke House, securing himself another four years representing the Avenues and Capitol Hill.

The District 3 race had turned into the most heated of the three City Council races this year with House, backed by Mayor Rocky Anderson, working hard to turn out the district's Democratic base.

Generally, District 3 is considered Democrats' territory, even in nonpartisan city races. But Jergensen, a Republican, won by drawing support from prominent Democrats like former Sen. Paula Julander and Rep. Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake. Jergensen won, taking 52 percent of the vote to House's 48 percent.

In Sugar House, voters picked Soren Simonsen to replace Dale Lambert who decided not to run for a second term. Simonsen, who wants to zone-out big box stores from Sugar House, beat Gordon Poulson getting 55 percent of the vote to Poulson's 45 percent.

Out west, in Rose Park's District 1, Carlton Christensen became a three-term council member by easily defeating Leslie Benns, 66 percent to 34 percent. Christensen said he wanted this third term so he could have a hand in shaping development of the city's Northwest Quadrant west of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Christensen sees the area as becoming a master-planned community where thousands of new residents can eventually live.

Benns had tried to focus the race on the west side's North Temple corridor, which she maintains has been neglected by city leaders. She said the city should work on improving development along its North Temple corridor before looking to develop the Northwest Quadrant.

In District 3 the "non-partisan" race took a decidedly partisan turn. House put out a flyer asking, "How long will Salt Lake City's most progressive community be represented by one of the most conservative City Council members?"

Jill Remington Love, who holds the City Council seat in District 5, ran unopposed this year.

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