Hopefuls vying for municipal offices

The departure of longtime leaders in the state's three largest cities has attracted several candidates to fill the void.

In Salt Lake City, seven candidates are vying to replace Councilman Eric Jergensen in District 3. The councilman, who represents the Avenues and Capitol Hill neighborhoods, announced this week he would not seek a third term on the council, instead focusing on his growing family and struggling business.

"When he decided not to run, I decided I would," said Phil Carroll, who runs the nonprofit Community Housing Services. "In the Avenues, when there's not an incumbent, you're going to get five to eight candidates."

Democratic activist Lisa Allcott holds a sizable lead in fundraising in District 3, but she now faces an array of competitors, including Utah AIDS Foundation director Stan Penfold and former Salt Lake City prosecutor Yossof Sharifi.

Salt Lake City Council Chairman Carlton Christensen will face challengers Leslie Reynolds-Benns and F. Joseph Irish as he seeks a fourth term.

Councilman Soren Simonsen and challenger Lisa Ramsey Adams will vie to represent Sugar House. Councilwoman Jill Remington Love will run unopposed.

In Provo, six candidates — Don Allphin, Steve Clark, John Curtis, Andrew P. Thompson, Ammon S. Cunningham and Neil Mitchell — filed before the 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline to replace Mayor Lewis K. Billings, who opted not to seek a fifth term.

And in West Valley City, Mike Winder, Kevin Fayles and Gerald Wise are seeking to take over for longtime Mayor Dennis Nordfelt.

Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan characterized the political atmosphere in his corner of the valley as quiet, saying he's running for a fifth term because he doesn't want to leave projects unfinished.

"I don't think it's the right time to leave office when the city is going through struggles with the major recession," Dolan said. "I just think it's not the right time to abandon the city."

Dolan's only competition will be Utah Constitution Party Vice President Dave Perry, who filed Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, West Jordan Mayor David B. Newton and South Salt Lake Mayor Bob Gray are stepping out of the spotlight. In both cases, a pair of women are among the candidates seeking the job.

In Davis County, 12 cities will hold primary elections on Sept. 15.

Most incumbent mayors in Davis County are running this year, with the exception of South Weber Mayor Brent Peterson, Syracuse Mayor Fred Panucci, North Salt Lake Mayor Shanna Schaefermeyer and Sunset Mayor Dan Gotchy.

Fruit Heights residents will not have candidates to choose from until a citywide convention to be held Sept. 10.

In Ogden, council members Blain Johnson and Dorrene Jeske have declined to run for re-election. Their terms expire at the end of the calendar year.

Contributing: Aaron Falk, Rebecca Palmer and Joseph M. Dougherty