UT-01 Democratic nominee?
$28.6K
JUN 24, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleMayor
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age46 years old (Jun 8, 1980)
GenderFemale
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LocationUtah
BackgroundPolitician
EducationUniversity of Utah — B.A., Gender Studies
Notable personal detailsErin J. Mendenhall is an American politician and clean-air advocate who has served as the 36th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah since January 2020. She previously represented District 5 on the Salt Lake City Council and served as council chair. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Utah and has been involved in air-quality advocacy and public policy in Utah.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports expanded city spending on affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure, and employee compensation while generally seeking to avoid broad property tax increases; has proposed targeted revenue measures when necessary to fund city priorities. Budget proposals emphasize investments in social programs and infrastructure alongside efforts to keep major tax hikes off residents where possible.
Healthcare
Supports expanding public-health services and access to care through city-led initiatives (behavioral health, substance-use treatment, pandemic protections) and policies that increase health coverage for city employees (including gender-affirming care). Focuses on strengthening local public-health responses and growing the local health-care economy rather than advocating for single-payer or wholesale privatization.
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Immigration & Border
Supports protecting and welcoming immigrants in Salt Lake City, opposes local participation in federal immigration enforcement actions, and has backed programs that help lawful permanent residents pursue U.S. citizenship and extensions of work authorization for migrants. Has publicly rejected local hosting of ICE facilities and pushed city resources toward inclusion and services for newcomers.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate opposes the overturning of Roe v. Wade and identifies as supporting reproductive rights and access to abortion; she has publicly expressed concern about the impacts of abortion restrictions and pledged support for continued reproductive health services in Salt Lake City. Her statements emphasize protecting women’s access to care while criticizing state-level bans that limit abortion access.
Climate & Energy
Supports aggressive municipal climate action including electrification, expanding renewables to achieve net-100% renewable electricity for the city by 2030, emission-free city-funded buildings, expanded EV and transit programs, and urban forestry/air-quality initiatives.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports local actions to reduce gun violence (gun buybacks, safe-storage messaging, removal of illegal firearms) and calls for commonsense federal gun-safety legislation, including urging Congress to act on protections such as background checks. Emphasizes responsible gun ownership and targeted enforcement to keep firearms out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others.
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