Tish Buroker and Tawnee McCay were both elected to the Riverton City Council in 2017, and eight years later, the sitting councilwomen are running against each other to lead the city for the next four years as mayor.
The pair already squared off in a three-person primary election in August to qualify for the general election ballot, with Buroker winning 60% of the vote and McCay earning 33%. John Scott was eliminated after finishing third with 6%.
The winner of the Nov. 4 general election will succeed outgoing Mayor Trent Staggs, a two-term executive who has raised his profile by running for county mayor in 2021 and last year as a Republican in the race for U.S. Senate. But both candidates seeking to fill Staggs’ seat say they plan to keep their focus on local issues and avoid national politics.
Here’s how each candidate is pitching themselves with less than a month to go before Election Day.
McCay’s husband won’t seek Senate reelection if she wins
The McCays are a powerhouse political family in Riverton. Tawnee has served eight years on the City Council, and her husband is Republican state Sen. Dan McCay. But after hearing some concerns from residents about having too much power concentrated in one couple, Dan McCay said he won’t seek reelection next year if his wife wins the mayoral race.
Although their roles don’t overlap, Dan McCay said in a video he “would hate to be the reason someone doesn’t vote for the best candidate for mayor in Riverton, so I’m going to take that issue off the table.”
“This just takes away any potential that I would be a consideration for people to not judge her for her qualifications, but to judge her for me,” he told KSL.com.
Tawnee McCay said many of the conservative constituents she has talked to while campaigning have supported her husband but are wary of both holding such prominent roles.
“I think it was super sweet and shows the character of my husband that he said, ‘Hey, if this is an issue, I’m willing to step down if you win,’” she said.
Tawnee McCay has been endorsed by the Utah Taxpayers Association for her work in reducing city debts and said she plans to follow in Staggs’ footsteps as a fiscal conservative executive if elected.
Tawnee McCay said she would also prioritize protecting the city’s parks and expanding trails near several canals and creeks to connect more of the city to the Jordan River Trail.
“That’s something that I feel like would really help connect the neighborhoods and connect our community, if we’re able to put in some of those trails,” she said.
Buroker looks to continue ‘forward-looking progress’
Buroker was born in Riverton and said she has watched the city grow from having a few thousand residents to a population of about 45,000 as of 2023, making it close to the median-sized city in Salt Lake County.
“It has changed dramatically, but I really do believe that that history, and that background really helps me understand the people of Riverton and gives me a great balance,” she said. “You’ve got all those conflicting tensions, but I think because of my background and my experience, it makes me able to understand and figure out the compromises.”
Buroker is also focused on improving the city’s parks and trails, and wants to see better pedestrian infrastructure around recreation spots. Residents of northern Riverton have to cross busy 12600 South to get to Riverton City Park, so she plans to prioritize a pedestrian bridge nearby, as well as add pedestrian traffic signals near other popular parks.
She would like to see the city interact better with residents and has floated the idea of hosting a podcast to communicate directly with them.
“I want to make sure that the office is a place where people can come and talk about their concerns and they feel like they live in a city that hears … and cares about their concerns,” she said.
Buroker has been endorsed by three of her colleagues on the City Council, and she’s pitching her potential mayorship as a continuation of what she says have been years of steady leadership of the city.
“My vision and focus for the city is to continue with the forward-looking progress we have made in the last eight years, with a focus on local issues and increased inclusivity,” she said.