The race for Charleston mayor has been one to watch, with candidates Jan Wilson and Doug Clements neck-and-neck.
As of Tuesday, Clements, who ran a write-in campaign, had barely pulled ahead, with 93 votes to Wilson’s 92. A third candidate, Shawn Taylor, got 72 votes.
In races with fewer than 400 votes, the losing candidate can request a recount if results are a single vote apart.
Wilson said some locals encouraged her to ask for a recount.
“They just want to feel confident that this was done correctly, that the votes were processed correctly,” she said. “If Doug does continue to be the winner, it’s going to give him peace of mind, too, and the backing of the town to say that the process was correct.”
She said she ran for mayor because she didn’t want to see an uncontested race. She wanted to encourage more residents to get involved in local government.
“I’m very proud of what’s come out of this election, which is getting people more involved, getting people aware of what’s happening and knowing that their voices are important,” she said.
The small town along the shore of Deer Creek Reservoir saw about 80% of its roughly 320 registered voters head to the polls this year.
Regardless of the outcome, Wilson wants to give back to the town.
“If the recount doesn’t change the vote, then I’m happy to support Doug, because I love this town and I want the best for this town,” she said. “However I can bring my talents to helping the town make good decisions and building community and making people feel heard – I’m all in.”
Charleston has seen tight races before. In 2017, the town flipped a coin to decide a mayoral race that ended in a tie. A few elections before that, a write-in candidate became mayor.
Wasatch County clerk-auditor Joey Granger said the recount will be Nov. 25.
