Jackie Biskupski became Salt Lake City and the state of Utah’s first openly gay mayor last night, defeating Mayor Ralph Becker by 52.19 percent to 47.81 percent. 48.4 percent of registered Salt Lake City voters had mailed in ballots and that number would likely go higher. Official results will be released on the November 17 canvass, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:
Becker did not concede Tuesday night but did compliment Biskupski on a hard-fought campaign.
“I commend her, and really I’ve felt this way, she’s run a very, very strong campaign. And the votes that have been counted so far show her in the lead, and it’s a reflection of the campaign she’s run, and I commend her for that,” the mayor said. “Beyond that, I think we’re going to have to wait and see what the final votes are.”
Said Utah Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, also openly gay: “Generations of LGBT people could’ve only dreamed of this. Jackie is now an iconic gay leader. This is a great moment for Salt Lake City — we’re not the stereotype people across the country think we are.”
