Canvass confirms re-election of Salt Lake Councilman Simonsen — by 13 votes

Soren Simonsen's lucky number?

Thirteen.

That's the lead the Salt Lake City councilman has over challenger Lisa Ramsey Adams with all provisional and absentee ballots counted.

"I knew from the beginning it was going to be a tight race," Simonsen said after receiving the canvass results from county election officials Tuesday. "Six weeks ago, I thought I'd either win by two votes or lose by two. I'm glad it wasn't quite that close."

But in his quest for a second term in office, Simonsen now faces a recount.

The 1,948-1,935 victory falls well within his east-side district's 31-vote recount margin, and Adams said she would request a recount.

"While I have been told that there is not a great likelihood of the final tally changing, I want to honor all those who voted by asking for a recount," Adams said in a statement.

"This race has demonstrated just how important each vote is, and we all want to be certain that it is accurate," she said. "When the recount has concluded, if the results remain the same, I will congratulate Soren and wish him well in his responsibilities."

Elections officials have said the results of a recount could come as soon as Friday.

An architect and planner, Simonsen has been criticized at times for being overly concerned about design, and he watched as three of his fellow council members endorsed Adams in the run-up to the November election.

Still, Simonsen said he does not believe there will be strained relations among council members.

"I've had my differences with council members since the day I started," he said. "We'll continue to have our differences, but there's a lot more that we can agree on. … But I'm going to continue to sweat the details. That's what I know. That's what I do."

e-mail: afalk@desnews.com