The polls have closed, the votes are being tabulated, and Salt Lake County Democratic Mayor Jenny Wilson has built an early lead over her Republican rival, Erin Rider, in the race that will determine who will win. lead Utah’s most populous county for the next four years.

Starting at 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday, early and unofficial returns showed Wilson, who is seeking a second full term, with 58.5% of the vote. Rider, a Salt Lake City-based corporate lawyer, had garnered 41.4% of the vote.

The first results were convincing enough for Wilson to claim victory.

“I am very committed to the work I am doing. (I) made the decision a year ago to step up and do this again,” Wilson said. “It’s like any job interview: you have to do your best and hope for the best, and it looks like I’ll come back and I’m happy. “I am very happy to return.”

Rider could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Wilson became Salt Lake County’s first Democratic mayor in January 2019 after serving 10 years on the County Council. He replaced former Democratic Mayor Ben McAdams when he left office to represent Utah’s 4th Congressional District. Wilson was elected in 2020 to a full four-year term.

Rider ran unsuccessfully against former U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart in a 2022 bid to capture the Republican nomination for the state’s 2nd Congressional District. If elected, Rider would become Salt Lake County’s first Republican mayor since 2005.

Salt Lake County Council

Salt Lake County voters also weighed in on four county council seats that were up for grabs. Right now, Republicans have a 5-4 lead.

In the race to determine who will represent the general “C” position of the council (one of the county’s three seats on the nine-member partisan council) Democrat Natalie Pinkney was leading Republican Rachelle Morris. The seat is currently held by longtime Democratic council member Jim Bradley, who decided not to seek another six-year term.

Early unofficial results showed Pinkney, a member of the South Salt Lake City Council, had garnered 53.4% ​​of the vote. Morris, co-founder of Utah-based venture fund RevRoad Capital, earned 46.6% of the vote.

In the race to represent District 2 On the council, early unofficial results showed Republican Carlos Moreno leading Democrat Katie Olson with 51.6% of the vote.

The district, which includes Magna, Kearns and parts of West Valley City, West Jordan, South Jordan and Herriman, is currently represented by Republican Dave Alvord, who decided not to seek reelection to a second four-year term.

In the race to replace outgoing Democratic council member Ann Granato in District 4covering parts of Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake and Murray, along with all of Holladay, Millcreek and Emigration Canyon, unofficial results showed Democrat Ross Romero leading Republican Roger Livingston and Utah Forward candidate Nolan Kruse.

Romero had obtained 65.2% of the votes, while Livingston was behind with 31.4% and Kruse followed with 3.4%.

In the contest that will decide who will represent District 6which covers a swath of the southeastern part of the county and includes Sandy and parts of Cottonwood Heights, Republican incumbent Dea Theodore was narrowly leading her opponent, Democratic Sandy City Council member Zach Robinson, according to early unofficial results .

As of 10:20 p.m., Theodore had obtained 50.1% of the vote in his bid for a second term.