Most incumbents advance in uneventful Salt Lake County elections

Salt Lake County races proved largely uneventful, with low voter turnout and most incumbents advancing to the general election.

Bluffdale residents, who have recently voiced their discontent with the city government, did not opt for change. Only 2,114 Bluffdale residents voted Tuesday night. Martha Speed and Jesse Kelley, the only incumbents, will go on to the November general election along with Bruce Kartchner, Troy Chisholm, Rod Flanigan and Don White.

Results of the Draper election could change in the next couple of days. Since the city straddles both Salt Lake and Utah counties, voters on the Utah County side mail in their ballots. All were not received Tuesday — there is a potential for 500.

Early results showed incumbent Bill Colbert placed fourth in a race for only three seats. Thirteen individuals were competing for those three spots. Former Salt Lake County Commissioner Bart Barker received the most votes, 958, while political newcomer Alan Summerhays was shortly behind with 957. So far, the third spot will belong to Troy Walker with 781 votes.

In Holladay, the District 4 spot will come down to a competition between incumbent Steve Peterson and Barry Topham. Topham, however, received more votes than Peterson. And in Midvale, incumbent Kelly Bennett will compete for the District 1 spot against Robert Hale — Hale garnered nearly 50 more votes than Bennett.

Mike Day, Matt Robinson, Raquel DeLuca and Michelle Bailey will vie for Herriman's two City Council seats in November. DeLuca, the incumbent, was third in the primary race with 200 votes, behind Day and Robinson.

Riverton has three open City Council seats. In District 1, Roy Tingey and Sheldon Stewart will move on to the general election and in District 5 Galen Mills and Randy Brinkerhoff will move on. Karma Bentson, the incumbent in District 2, had no opponents.

West Jordan also has three open City Council seats. In District 1, Rob Bennett and Jim Lems will run against each other in November. In District 3, Mike Kellermeyer and Ben Southworth will move on and in District 4, Lyle Summers and Clive Killpack made it to the general election. Both Kellermeyer and Summers, the incumbents, garnered fewer votes than Southworth and Killpack, respectively.

Current West Jordan City Councilman Rob Bennett said he's grateful for the chance to go on to the November elections.

"It's a lot of people behind you that help and believe in the cause (that help you win)," he said.

Bennett also said he wished more West Jordan residents had come out to vote.

"I'm sad at the low voter turnout. I think there are a lot of people that aren't getting their voices heard."

In West Valley City, at-large candidates Corey Lynn Rushton and Jack Matheson will move on. District 1 incumbent Carolynn Burt and Adam Leffler will both be on the ballot, as well as District 3 incumbent Russel Brooks and Clint Child.

West Valley City saw a 20 percent higher voter turnout this year than in 2005.

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com; astowell@desnews.com