The contest for the Park City mayor’s office on Friday remained undecided, with Park City Councilor Ryan Dickey having slightly widened his lead over Jack Rubin, a Marsac Building outsider with an executive background, from the first batch of results released on Election Day.
Dickey in the most recent count had 1,701 votes, or 50.16%, and Rubin had 1,690 votes, or 49.84%, an 11-vote margin. Dickey was up by just two votes at the end of the counting on Tuesday night.
The Summit County Clerk’s Office on Friday morning reported there are two provisional ballots that have not been counted. There are an additional 23 ballots included in the totals as a result of signature issues, which could be cured before the canvass is held. There is also the possibility of ballots sent from overseas that meet the postmark deadline arriving and being included in the final count. Election officials late in the week were not tracking how many of the ballots that have not been counted were cast by voters inside Park City.
Dickey said in a prepared statement on Thursday:
“It appears that the additional ballots counted yesterday have pushed us across the finish line in this election. However, the results are not final, so we are celebrating the news, but not declaring victory just yet — out of both caution and respect for Jack’s campaign. I remain as grateful as ever for the incredible team of volunteers and supporters who came together to make this result possible, and to everyone who cast a ballot. It’s gratifying that our positive campaign, centered on pragmatism and progress, resonated strongly with voters.”
Rubin on Thursday said he had no plans to concede and said he will respect the process as well as the eventual result.
The narrow margin appears to leave open the possibility of a recount. State law allows a losing candidate to request a recount if the difference is at or less than 0.25% of the total votes cast in a contest. The law also requires the county clerk to conduct a recount in the event of a tie.
The next round of results will likely not be released until the canvass on Nov. 18. It will not certain until the canvass whether the margin will be close enough for one of the candidates to request a recount.
The numbers from individual voting precincts highlight the split in the community between the two candidates. Dickey performed solidly in places like Sidewinder, Park Meadows and Quarry Mountain. Rubin had solid showings in areas like Deer Valley and the Park City Heights neighborhood, which is included in the Deer Valley North precinct. The numbers were tight in places like the southern reaches of Old Town and Thaynes Canyon.
Election Day was the first time the two candidates were on the ballot together, since the mayoral field was not large enough to require a primary. Dickey in the campaign positioned himself as the establishment candidate, while Rubin attempted to tap the frustration of many Parkites with the direction of the community. The two addressed numerous issues like the polarizing Clark Ranch housing concept, the recruitment of the next city manager, preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympics and traffic-fighting measures.
The winner will be sworn into office in early January for a four-year term ending in early 2030.
There were two City Council seats on the ballot as well. Incumbent City Councilor Tana Toly won another term, and voters added nonprofit executive Diego Zegarra to the City Council, according to the preliminary numbers. Jeremy Rubell was unsuccessful in a bid for a second term on the City Council. The margins in the City Council election were not close.