For Sandra Armstrong Peterson, politics came as a matter of course.
Her first husband was mayor of Santaquin, and she decided to follow in his footsteps. At the time, she didn't realize she was pioneering a new role for women in Utah County politics.During her term from 1981 to 1983, she was the first, and thus far the only, elected woman mayor in the history of the county. That could change next week, however, with the emergence of two county women as strong mayoral candidates.
Former Orem Councilwoman Stella Welsh gathered about 50 more votes than incumbent Mayor S. Blaine Willes in the October primary, while Spanish Fork businesswoman and Chamber of Commerce president-elect Marie Huff came away from her primary with two-thirds of the mayoral vote - the highest individual percentage in the state. She faces City Councilman T. Page Harrison.
Brigham Young University political science professor David Magleby, a national expert on voter behavior, said women in Utah politics have not moved as quickly into leadership roles as women in other parts of the country.
A few facts:
(BU) Of the 228 mayors in Utah, 14 are women.
(BU) The largest city with a woman mayor is Richfield. (The appointed woman mayor of West Jordan recently resigned.)
(BU) If Welsh wins her bid, Orem, Utah's sixth-largest city, will become the largest city in state history to have an elected woman mayor. (Stella Oaks was Provo's acting mayor for brief periods in the 1950s.)
Magleby said women have often acted behind the scenes in Utah campaigns. But except for serving on school boards, women have not moved as quickly into elected roles.
Manila Mayor Carole Scott was the first woman in 25 years to be elected to the presidency of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. She is the immediate past president. She said that women are finally hitting their stride in politics.
The 1980s have seen some advances for women in politics. Orem has had several successful women candidates for City Council since Welsh became the first woman council member. Joyce Johnson, in fact, has been the highest vote-getter in each election in which she's participated.
Some women politicians say they had role models in politics. Some of those mentioned include state Sen. Frances Farley, D-Salt Lake; Rep. Beverly Evans, R-Duchesne; and Provo Councilwoman Anagene Mecham. Huff said she hopes she is providing a positive role model for today's young women.
"I'm just very happy," Huff said about the encouraging results of the Spanish Fork primary. "I think women are finally coming into their rights. I think women are taking a more active role in society _ out front, not behind the scenes _ and that's a positive sign."
Despite his poor showing against Huff in the primary, Harrison said he is encouraged by women's increasing leadership roles.
Magleby said the traditional value of having women in the home has had an effect on voter opinions, if only a subconscious one. Another reason for fewer women in political positions, he said, is that women did not get the right to vote until this century.
Magleby said it will be interesting to see how women do in mayoral races because having a woman as the focal point of the community is a different issue altogether from having a woman representing part of the diversity of a community on a city council.
Scott said voters seem to vote on the issues and competence of the candidates, not on gender. They "instinctively know when something is being offered."
Willes, Welsh's opponent, said, "It's not a gender issue. It's an individual capability issue."
Welsh said she has never had any significant problems being a woman in politics.
Peterson, who works for Springville Dr. John Mendenhall, said she had a few problems. While she was mayor, some citizens suggested that the women on the council should be limited to work on beautification and beauty pageants.
Willes said he doesn't think he's ever displayed any bias in his work as mayor. "In fact, some of the more weighty assignments I've given to Joyce Johnson." Harrison, too, said bias has never been an issue for him.
Shari Holweg was third in Provo's mayor's race and has continued with a write-in campaign. Outside Utah County the largest city with an active woman candidate for mayor is Roy, where Kathleen Browning is facing Richard G. Tubbs.