As the 2024 election season heats up, Salt Lake County finds itself on the brink of significant political change. With the retirement of long-serving officials like Jim Bradley, David Alvord, Ann Granato, Wayne Cushing and Reid Demman, the upcoming races will usher in a new era of leadership. In the spotlight is the high-stakes mayoral race, where incumbent Democrat Jenny Wilson faces a challenge from Republican Erin Rider. Alongside this, several key County Council districts and other county offices will see competitive battles as newcomers vie to shape the future of the county. Here's an overview of the pivotal races and the candidates aiming to steer Salt Lake County forward.

Retiring Salt Lake County elected officers Jim Bradley, David Alvord, Ann Granato, Wayne Cushing and Reid Demman. (Photos courtesy of Salt Lake County)

County Mayor Race

Jenny Wilson, the current mayor of Salt Lake County, is running for re-election. Wilson has been in office since 2019 and previously made history as the first woman elected to the County Council. According to her campaign page, she is a fifth-generation Utahn with experience in both the private sector and nonprofit organizations. Before becoming mayor, Wilson served on the council for 10 years.

Her opponent, Erin Rider, a Republican, comes from a background in law and business. Raised in Millcreek, Rider graduated from Brigham Young University with a business degree and later earned her JD/MBA from Georgetown University. She worked as a law clerk on the Senate Finance Committee under Sen. Orrin Hatch in Washington, D.C., and has been active in various community organizations, including Utah Women Run and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. 

County Council District Races

District 2 includes the towns of West Valley City, Kearns, West Jordan, South Jordan and Herriman. Both candidates in this race are new, as they seek to replace the retiring incumbent David Alvord.

Katie Olson, the Democratic candidate, indicates on her campaign webpage she holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a master’s degree in public administration. She currently works as an internal consultant for the city of South Jordan, where she collaborates with various city departments to evaluate their effectiveness. 

Carlos Moreno, the Republican candidate, is a recent U.S. citizen and political asylee from Venezuela. He achieved U.S. citizenship in 2022 and works as a community outreach representative for a national energy management consulting company. Moreno also runs a small business with his wife in West Jordan. 

District 4 encompasses Salt Lake City, Millcreek, Holladay, Murray and Cottonwood Heights. Current incumbent Ann Granto retires after this term. 

This race features Democrat Ross Romero, a former Utah State Senator and House Member. Romero graduated from the University of Utah and earned a JD from the University of Michigan Law School. His career includes serving on the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and being elected as a Democratic National Committee Committeeman in 2020. Romero has held numerous board positions, including with the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials and the Utah Hospital Association, and has been involved in initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Running against Romero is former Third Circuit Court Judge Roger Livingston, a Republican. Livingston previously served as a Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney and was a candidate for the Republican attorney general nomination in the 1980s. He also served in the Utah House of Representatives in the late 1970s.

Nolan Kruse is also running in District 4 under the Utah Forward Party. Kruse is a small business owner and the Co-Founder and CEO of Lunar Services, a company that provides building service solutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Utah.

District 6 includes the areas of Sandy, Midvale, Draper and Cottonwood Heights. Incumbent Republican Dea Theodore is seeking re-election. Theodore, who has represented District 6 since 2020, has a background in biology and experience in education administration and civic engagement. As noted on her website, she has been active on several boards, including the Unified Fire Authority (UFA) and SYLVESA, and has worked on legislative initiatives during her time in office; she is a Sandy resident.

Challenging Theodore is Zach Robinson, the Democratic candidate who currently serves on the Sandy City Council. Robinson has a decade of experience as a firefighter and paramedic, and he works as an Operations Manager for virtual care at University of Utah Health.

At-Large and Other County Positions

In the at-large race for County Council, Republican Rachelle Morris and Democrat Natalie Pinkney are competing to replace longtime councilman Jim Bradley. 

Natalie Pinkney currently serves on the South Salt Lake City Council and has an educational background in psychology and educational leadership from Marquette University and the University of Utah. Pinkney is also a small business owner and helped establish a Financial Empowerment Center in South Salt Lake. 

Rachelle Morris, is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in Information Systems. She has a career in private wealth management, having worked at both Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. Morris is also a co-founder and partner at a Utah venture fund.

Treasurer, Recorder, Assessor and Surveyor Races

For the position of County Treasurer, the current officeholder, Wayne Cushing, is not seeking re-election.

Democrat Sheila Srivastava, seeks to replace Cushing. As indicated on her website, Srivastava has over 30 years of experience as a CPA.

The Republican candidate aiming to replace him is Phil Conder, who has been working in the Salt Lake County Treasurer’s office. Conder has a degree in mathematics with a minor in physics from the University of Utah. Conder has been the Chief Deputy Treasurer under Wayne Cushing.

For County Recorder, incumbent Democrat Rashelle Hobbs is seeking re-election. Hobbs has been involved in county operations for over a decade, starting her career in the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office. Hobbs has a bachelor's degree at the University of Utah and a master's degree in professional communication from Westminster College.

Challenging Hobbs is Republican Richard Snelgrove, who was defeated in 2022 for re-election to the Salt Lake County Council. Snelgrove has also served as district director for U.S. Congressman Merrill Cook and has been involved in international election observation for the U.S. State Department. He currently serves on the United Fire Authority board.

The Assessor race features Chris Stavros, the Republican incumbent. Stavros previously held several leadership roles in the Assessor’s office, including Chief Deputy Assessor. 

Democrat Joel Frost is a residential appraiser in Salt Lake County since 2006. Frost has served in various capacities, including as President of the Utah Coalition of Appraisers and a board member of the Utah Association of Appraisers.

After 18 years, Reid Demman is stepping away from the position of County Surveyor. Two members from his office will compete to take his spot. 

Democrat Kent Setterberg is running with a career spanning over 30 years in the Salt Lake County Surveyor’s office. Setterberg, a licensed Professional Land Surveyor, has a Geomatics degree in Land Surveying from Salt Lake Community College. 

His opponent, Republican Bradley Park, is the current Chief Deputy Surveyor and has been in the Surveyor’s office since 2021. Park has 17 years of experience in surveying, including a leadership role at Dominion Energy, where he managed the company’s survey office. 

Salt Lake County voters can get registration, candidate and ballot information at www.saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/elections/2024-general-election/.

Editor's note: a previous version of this story inaccurately stated Rachelle Morris as the incumbent in her race. 

The Salt Lake County Council will see new faces as Jim Bradley, David Alvord and Ann Granato chose to retire from their offices. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)