Park City mayoral race remains too close to call; final results expected Nov. 18

A election worker holds an election envelope during a tour of Utah County's elections equipment and review processes for administering secure elections, April 19, 2022, in Provo, Utah. Photo: Rick Bowmer // Associated Press

PARK CITY, Utah — The race for Park City mayor remains undecided nearly a week after Election Day, with just 11 votes separating candidates Ryan Dickey and Jack Rubin in one of the closest municipal contests in recent city history.

According to unofficial results posted by the Summit County Clerk’s Office, Dickey holds a narrow lead — 1,701 votes to Rubin’s 1,690. However, officials say the outcome won’t be certified until November 18, after remaining ballots are verified and counted.

Park City Recorder Michelle Kellogg said Thursday that she contacted the County Clerk for an update on outstanding ballots. “There are two provisionals outstanding that need additional information to be counted,” she said. “There are 26 ballots countywide that still need to be cured or verified. The Clerk’s Office has not broken those down into jurisdictions.”

The razor-thin margin has left both campaigns waiting for final confirmation. Dickey’s team released a statement last week saying that the latest update “appears” to put them over the finish line, though the current City Councillor stopped short of declaring victory.

“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,” Dickey said.

He thanked supporters and volunteers, adding that if the results hold, he intends to serve all residents “no matter how they voted.”

“If this campaign reinforced one thing for me, it’s that our community is largely united in its shared values and priorities for the future of our city,” the statement continued. “Now is the time to come together and move Park City forward, together.”

Rubin said Monday that he will let the process run its course.

“Like everyone, I’d like a definitive answer. But with things so close in a couple of Summit County races, it’s important to allow the Clerk time to see all elections through to their complete finish. I respect the process and the timeline and, along with voters, will learn where things shake out for Park City on the 18th.”

While the unofficial overall tally shows a near split, precinct data show a clear split in Deer Valley and Park City Heights, where Dickey trailed Rubin 61% to 39%. Both neighborhoods have been focal points in recent City Council development debates.

In Deer Valley, more than 30 HOAs, pushed for measurable traffic and parking reductions and transit investment in exchange for the 2.6 acres of public right of way Deer Valley sought. Residents widely viewed the negotiated deal — $15 million in taxpayer subsidies for a Deer Valley transit facility plus bonus Silver Lake density — as too developer friendly. In Park City Heights, neighbors have organized in opposition to a proposed rezone of nearby Clark Ranch to allow a 200-plus unit taxpayer-subsidized workforce housing project, which Dickey has said he supports.

Dickey won Old Town’s northern precinct with 58% of the vote, while the southern part of Old Town was won by Rubin 58.34% to Dickey’s 47.66%. In Prospector Dickey won with 56.4%  and Thaynes was extremely close in the unofficial tally with Dickey slightly less than 1% ahead of Rubin.

Voter turnout in Park City reached 56%, with 3,391 ballots cast in the mayoral race.