Mayoral race a 2-party duel

Now that Democrat Ralph Becker and Republican Dave Buhler face each other in the Salt Lake City mayoral finals, expect the officially nonpartisan race to take on a Democrat vs. Republican tone.

It may not be wished by Buhler — city residents haven't elected a GOP mayor since Jake Garn in 1971.

Becker, the minority leader in the Utah House who is not known for his partisan attacks on the body's heavily Republican majority, still likes the 2-to-1 Democratic voting odds in the city.

"We will do whatever candidate Becker wants of us," state Democratic Party executive director Todd Taylor said on Wednesday, the day after Becker made an unexpected strong showing by getting nearly 40 percent of the primary election vote. Buhler finished second with 28 percent of the vote.

"I'm sure I will take advantage of that offer," Becker said Wednesday afternoon. "We have yet to map out what we will be doing over the next seven weeks" until the Nov. 6 final election.

Still, "it is definitely an advantage to be a Democrat in a Salt Lake City race," said Becker, "just as it is an advantage to be a Republican in almost all of the rest of the state."

Republicans are more hesitant. State GOP chairman Stan Lockhart says Buhler hasn't asked for any help, and the party won't give it unless he does. "Dave is an independent guy who does what he thinks is best for the city" in his eight years on the City Council, Lockhart said.

Salt Lake County GOP chairman James Evans says his group will stay out of the Salt Lake mayor's race no matter what Buhler wants.

"These municipal elections are nonpartisan for a reason," says Evans. "It would be a mistake for the Democrats to turn this into a partisan race. That could have far-reaching implications."

Buhler said Wednesday that he has not sought GOP help previously and won't ask for it now. "I've run my own campaign up to now, and I've done pretty well," he said. "I don't need their help.

"It is wrong to try to make these elections partisan," Buhler said, "just as it is wrong for some (GOP legislators) to try to make the state school board elections partisan. These offices are just better to be nonpartisan. The public is tired of partisan politics, anyway."

The last time — 1991 — the city mayoral final was between a Democrat and a Republican, Buhler was that Republican. (The rest of the races were one Democrat facing another Democrat.)

Polls for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV by Dan Jones & Associates found then that Buhler was supported by nearly 60 percent of city Republicans. The Democrat in 1991 was Deedee Corradini, and she got 76 percent of the Democratic vote, Jones found, as she coasted to a 55-45 percent victory in the final election.