Rachel Kahler has maintained her lead as the Republican candidate for Wasatch County Council Seat A with narrow primary election results.
The former Heber City councilor secured just over 51% of the vote with 2,694 ballots cast in her favor as of Wednesday afternoon. Her opponent, William Brett Vance, garnered just under 49% of the vote with 2,566 ballots in his favor.
That 128-vote lead appears to be enough for Kahler to secure her win in the primary election, though results will not be finalized until next Wednesday’s regular County Council meeting. Clerk-auditor Joey Granger estimated there were about 130 challenged ballots that needed to be rectified before they could be counted. Granger has contacted those voters.
Kahler, who ran for City Council in 2019, said she is vying for County Council Seat A to continue the fight for responsible growth and to foster communication with the public.
Vance echoed Kahler’s concern of “undisciplined, uncontrolled growth.” He also touted an “America first” playbook and traditionally conservative values.
In a prepared email statement, Vance said that, as a relative newcomer, getting nearly 50% of the vote signaled Republicans resonated with his campaign.
“Our voters told me loud and clear that they have had enough of too much, too soon development, big budget increases, out of control property taxes, encroachment on our open spaces and insufficient stewardship of our water,” Vance said.
He said it’s clear that for Seat A, “voters have decided to maintain the status quo, albeit by a very slim margin.”
Though it was a close race, Kahler said she is happy with the result. She said, however, that the narrow margin shows voters are “divided on every issue.”
“Whether it be growth or bypass or preservation of agricultural lands,” Kahler said. “It did surprise me how close that election was, given my opponent is new to the community and relatively unknown.”
Vance, a Hideout resident, worked to interface with the public throughout his campaign. Ahead of the primary election, he said that involved door knocking to talk with voters and “cut to the truth” of top issues.
He was also the only Wasatch County Republican Party candidate at the nominating convention in April to secure 60% of the delegate vote. However, Kahler opted out of the convention process and chose the signature-gathering process, which triggered a primary election.
Kahler said she wanted to meet with voters face-to-face throughout her campaign. She said it was a way to interact with Wasatch County residents she did not already know through her work on the City Council and with the Community Alliance for Main Street.
It was also a way to explain some of the decisions made in Heber City while Kahler sat on the City Council. She said some of those decisions — surrounding Jordanelle Ridge development, community revitalization and the Heber Valley Airport — remain unpopular, even if Kahler was a “no” vote.
“There’s a lot of people that are frustrated with the growth and decisions that were made on council,” Kahler said.
That followed Kahler throughout her campaign.
“Even though people looked at my voting record and started kind of tearing down different elements of who I am, I think it was important that, during the campaign, I tried to stay positive,” Kahler said.
If Kahler were to do one thing differently, she said, she would try to further connect with voters about why she made certain choices while sitting on the City Council.
“Even though I didn’t want to dig all that back, I think it’s important now, seeing the results. I think it’s important that people understand (those decisions) in a little more depth,” Kahler said.
Now, Kahler will move forward to campaign against Democrat Patrick Saucier for Seat A in the general election
Saucier said he is running for Seat A because he wants to see Wasatch County improve. He is the only Democrat seeking the seat, which is currently occupied by Luke Searle, whose term ends in January.
Searle, however, just earned the Republican candidacy for House District 59 in Tuesday’s primary election. Whether he wins or loses the seat against former Midway Mayor Celeste Johnson, a Democrat, in November.
Until then, Republican and Democratic candidates across the board will be campaigning, hopeful for a new role in 2027.