SALT LAKE CITY — Results from a pair of primary election recounts Thursday showed that Salt Lake County officials got things right the first time.
After Tuesday's city canvass meetings, the mayoral races in West Valley City and South Salt Lake were so close that third-place candidates in both cities requested recounts.
And they remained in third place following the recount.
In the South Salt Lake mayoral race, Derk Pehrson remained two votes ahead of Shane Siwik and will face incumbent Mayor Cherie Wood in the November general election.
Wood was the clear winner on primary election night, gaining 46 percent of the vote to Pehrson's 17 percent.
In West Valley City, Karen Lang finished 13 votes ahead of Don Christensen, sending Lang into an Election Day showdown with Ron Bigelow. In the primary, Bigelow received 34 percent of the vote to Lang's 17 percent.
Siwik remained positive about Pehrson's chances for office, saying he supports him "100 percent."
Pehrson said he believes he has the skill set suited to solve South Salt Lake's budget problems.
Lang said she was confident the county had done a thorough job on its first count but admitted a weight was lifted when she learned results of the recount.
"It was relieving, and now I know I can actually start to move forward," she said.
Christensen expressed his disappointment at not being able to continue in the race. He also said he will be supporting fellow City Council member Karen Lang's campaign.
"She knows what the city needs," he said.
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