The outcome of the GOP primary race between West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder and Holladay businessman Mark Crockett is still uncertain. Although Crockett ended the night with a slight lead, a vote recount is likely.
West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder says he knew it would be a close race, but he didn’t expect to trail Crockett by less than 300 votes. He assures that provisional ballots that were cast Tuesday still need to be counted, as well as vote-by-mails that were postmarked yesterday or dropped off at polling places.
“So this thing is not over yet and Mark Crockett has been a terrific competitor and we are taking this down to the wire," he says. "But that just shows how much interest is in this race and that it really will be a republican victory in the fall.”
But the numbers held consistently throughout the night, suggesting the difference translated throughout the valley. Mark Crockett says it’s a sign of how far he’s come.
“We started pretty far behind," he says. "With name ID and all. We’ve had a catch-up game to make. And we just feel great that we got to this spot and may have indeed won.”
Crockett adds it’s obvious the voters see two strong candidates.
A recount could take several days. The winner of the race will face Democratic Challenger Ben McAdams in November.