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Mark Crockett and Mike Winder left behind four fellow Republicans in the race for Salt Lake County mayor, but neither could muster enough support at Saturday's GOP county convention to avoid a June 26 primary.
Crockett, a former county councilman and businessman, came close.
He knotted 58 percent of delegates' votes in a second round of balloting, falling 28 votes short of the 845 needed to reach the 60 percent level required to secure the party nomination and advance to a November showdown against Democrat Ben McAdams.
Winder, the mayor of West Valley City, had 42 percent.
That gap "was a pretty big vote of confidence," said Crockett after the two candidates virtually tied in the first round of voting at the Salt Palace Convention Center. "Fifty-eight percent was as much as I could have hoped for."
Although he faces an uphill fight to win the seat now held by Democrat Peter Corroon, who opted against seeking a third term, Winder said he was "thrilled, with the crowded race, to get through today."
Between now and late June, Crockett said he will emphasize how his business experience helping big corporations and governments trim costs will enable him to make the county more efficient.
"It takes more than cutting," he said.
Winder, who overcame a rebuke from county Republican Party officials while being criticized extensively and sued for writing newspaper articles under the pseudonym Richard Burwash, intends to spread the message that he is the candidate of limited government and economic development.
"I have a track record," he said, citing his successes in running the state's second most-populous city and a temperament that will allow him to work well with officials from cities in the county.
He also contended he would bring the Republicans the west-side support needed to wrest the mayor's seat from the Democrats.
Crockett and Winder each received 32 percent of the votes on the first ballot, which eliminated County Councilman Richard Snelgrove (an early favorite), former Congressman Merrill Cook, County Recorder Gary Ott and Larry Decker, who works in the county Auditor's Office.
Snelgrove and Cook, the most conservative candidates, endorsed Crockett after their exits.
Picking the right candidate to end the Democrats' eight-year hold on the mayor's post is particularly important this year, Crockett said, because "with Mitt Romney on the [Republican presidential ticket], this is our race to lose. Ben McAdams may be nice, may be attractive, but we'll win."
Salt Lake City delegate Teri Brandenburg felt Crockett had the best credentials to take on McAdams, a state senator. "Crockett's articulate, intelligent and can match well with [McAdams]. Electability was an issue for me."
The Republicans also will have a primary in the race to challenge Democrat Jim Bradley's 12-year hold on a countywide council seat.
Joseph Demma, a former campaign manager for Gov. Gary Herbert, snagged 56 percent of delegates' votes after trailing Melvin Nimer, chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans, a caucus for gay GOP members, in the first round. Veteran politician Steve Harmsen was eliminated on the first ballot.
There will be no primary in the District 4 council race, currently held by outgoing Democrat Jani Iwamoto. Missy Wilson Larsen, daughter of former Salt Lake City Democratic Mayor Ted Wilson, collected 61 percent of the vote on the second ballot to defeat small-business owner Craig Ward. Rainer Huck came in a distant third in the first round.
Incumbent Councilmen Michael Jensen and Max Burdick were unchallenged in districts 2 and 6, respectively.
In legislative contests, Republicans ousted Rep. Merlynn Newbold, of South Jordan, who lost to Rich Cunningham for the GOP nod in House District 50. Fellow House incumbents LaVar Christensen (District 32), Dan McCay (District 41) and Jim Bird (District 42) turned back challengers, as did Sen. Aaron Osmond (District 10).
Rep. Wayne Harper won delegates' support to carry the GOP mantle in Senate District 6, formerly held by retiring Senate President Michael Waddoups, and picked Brian Shiozawa in Senate District 8.
In the House, Republicans selected as candidates Andres Paredes (District 26), Craig Hall (District 33), Casey Fitts (District 35), Dana Dickson (District 36), Grace Sperry (District 40), Earl Tanner (District 43), Wyatt Christensen (District 46) and John Knotwell (District 52).