Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman's independent challenger wants her to exit the mayor's race, but not in a way that would allow the Republican Party to name a replacement.
Merrill Cook hand delivered a letter Monday to Workman urging her to exit the race, the same day the mayor discussed her options with GOP party leaders.
With District Attorney David Yocom planning to announce today whether to file charges against Workman, there has been whispering that Republican leaders and lobbyists are pressuring the mayor to find a way to be replaced on the ballot.
Workman, who says she will remain in the race, has been under investigation in the hiring of two employees to work for her daughter at the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Valley. An independent panel last week announced there was reasonable justification to charge Workman with felony misappropriation of public funds.
State election law provides that the Salt Lake County Republican Party could replace Workman on the November ballot only if a doctor certified her as mentally or physically disabled. Death, improper candidate filing or running on the presidential ticket are the other three conditions.
"I'm not telling her what to decide," Cook said in an interview. "Of course, I would love her support if she doesn't run, because I think I'm much more likely to run a government based on Republican principles than the Democratic candidate would."
Democratic mayoral candidate Peter Corroon called Cook's letter "political gamesmanship."