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Kitchen Wins Salt Lake City’s 4th District Council Seat

Nicole Nixon

Gay rights advocate and small business owner Derek Kitchen has won the council seat for Salt Lake City’s fourth district.

With less than half of precincts reporting election results on Tuesday night, Derek Kitchen had a three percent lead over his opponent, Nate Salazar. Salazar conceded early, saying in a statement that it was unlikely he would take the lead.

Kitchen says he’s excited about Salt Lake City’s growth and says he wants to make economic development one of his top priorities.

“I’m really interested in exploring how we can create a more affordable and equal city, how we can address the critical issues facing Salt Lake, whether it’s infrastructure, affordable housing or the homeless situation,” he says.

Kitchen says he will offer the fourth district a unique perspective, and something else:

“A voice,” he says.  “A voice for everybody. Salt Lake City, like I said, is very diverse.  And I have a unique ability to pull all the stakeholders together and represent a very diverse community.

Kitchen was at the center of the court case that ultimately overturned Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2013.

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