Democratic candidate for county clerk appointed as interim clerk, as race takes shape

The Summit County Council appointed Malena Stevens as interim county clerk on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Photo: TownLift

Malena Stevens now holds the clerk’s office on an interim basis as Summit County Democrats and Republicans shape the 2026 race

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Summit County’s 2026 clerk race came into sharper focus Wednesday after the County Council appointed Malena Stevens, a Democratic candidate for the office and former county council chair, to serve as interim county clerk through Dec. 31, 2026, filling the vacancy left by Eve Furse’s resignation ahead of this year’s election.

The appointment came during the council’s April 8 meeting, one day after Summit County Democrats nominated Stevens at their county convention in Park City. An email from Summit County Democrats, read into the record at the meeting, said the party had “nominated and officially endorsed” Stevens for the interim role and had also selected her as its candidate for county clerk in the November 2026 election.

Vice Chair Roger Armstrong asked whether any council members had concerns about making the appointment. None were raised. Councilmember Tanya Hansen then moved to appoint Stevens as interim clerk, with Councilmember Megan McKenna seconding the motion. The council approved the appointment without opposition, and Stevens was sworn in by Summit County attorney Margaret Olson during the meeting.

The move places Stevens, already a declared Democratic candidate for the office, in the clerk’s seat months before voters choose who will hold the position for a longer term. Furse announced in March that she would resign effective April 8, triggering the process to appoint an interim replacement before the office appears on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot.

Democrats had nominated Stevens the night before at their April 7 convention, where the party said about 140 attendees heard from candidates running at the state and local levels. According to the Summit County Democratic Party’s press release, precinct delegates also voted in two contested County Council races.

In Council District 4, Democrats said John Kucera received about 87% of the delegate vote, while Christie Babalis received 13%. In District 5, Meredith Reed received about 55% of the vote, and Canice Harte received 45%, according to the party. The Democratic release said all four candidates had also qualified through the signature process and will appear on the June primary ballot.

Republicans, meanwhile, nominated Suni Woolstenhulme for county clerk at their March 31 convention at Ecker Hill Middle School, according to a Summit County Republican Party press release. The release said Woolstenhulme was nominated by acclamation.

The Republican convention also featured candidates in U.S. House District 3, Utah House Districts 59 and 4, and State School Board District 1. In its release, the party said the event also highlighted organizational growth, improved finances, and a “candidate pipeline” to support local candidates.

Taken together, the two party conventions and Wednesday’s council appointment offer an early picture of how the local election season is taking shape: Republicans have formally nominated Woolstenhulme, while Democrats have both nominated Stevens and now seen her appointed to fill the office on an interim basis.

Stevens had entered the clerk’s race in December after Furse announced she would not seek reelection. Previous TownLift reporting also noted Stevens’ recent public role in county government, including her 2025 appointment to Summit County’s districting commission after state-mandated changes shifted the county from at-large to geographic district elections.

After Wednesday’s vote, council members thanked Furse for her service and welcomed Stevens into the role. Hansen said it had been “a pleasure” to serve with Furse and told Stevens she was excited to continue working with her in the new position, adding that she expected Stevens to do “a fabulous job.” McKenna also thanked Furse for her service and said she could not think of “anyone better to fill the office in the interim.”

Armstrong, noting the pace of election administration, told Stevens that “there’s an election coming up in about five minutes,” adding that she would need to get to work quickly.

When she launched her campaign, Stevens told TownLift that “the clerk’s office is one of the most important operational roles in county government” and that the job requires “accuracy, transparency and consistency, especially when public trust is tested.”

Utah’s regular primary election is June 23.