If elected, Ivory vowed to not take a salary, a county car or campaign contributions. His plan: Sweep in and rescue a county that has been rocked by scandals, including Workman's ongoing legal battle in which she faces two felony counts of misuse of taxpayer money.

"Former supporters of Mayor Workman are now uncomfortable with her current situation, and they feel like they have no place to go," Ivory said. "Voters are dissatisfied with the two remaining candidates. That's why I'm offering them another choice."

While write-in efforts are rare and difficult to win, Ivory said he plans to mount a large grass-roots campaign and spend up to $400,000 of his own money in the remaining 28 days of the race.

It helps that Ivory could have the backing of many Republicans, some of whom probably will move from Workman's endorsement list.

"If anyone has a great chance, [Ivory] does," veteran pollster Dan Jones said. "He has name ID and the money to get the people out to vote. He becomes very formidable."

Not many have pulled it off. Besides a write-in victory for Wayne County sheriff two years ago and a decades-old write-in success in the Cache Valley, there hasn't been a major write-in race to succeed in memory, Jones said. "We really have no precedent."

It's unclear how Ivory's entrance will impact the race. In a Salt Lake Tribune poll last week, Democrat Peter Corroon was at 41 percent with a double-digit lead over his nearest opponent, independent Merrill Cook, though undecided voters tallied about 21 percent. Workman had slid to about 15 percent.

Ivory, who announced his candidacy early Tuesday to a mostly conservative KSL Radio audience, was welcomed by some, while assailed by others.

"He's the real deal, and he's got a lot of experience and knowledge," said acting Salt Lake County Mayor Alan Dayton. "His motives are completely genuine. It will certainly energize the Republican Party."

Ivory's opponents were quick to pin labels on him.

"Don't write in a developer," said Cook, who was elected a U.S. congressman as a Republican. "We welcome him [Ivory], but I would say to Republicans who might be interested in him . . . they have a candidate in me."

Cook said Ivory could split the conservative vote and help Corroon win.

For his part, Corroon said, "I don't think the citizens want someone who is a big developer coming in and buying an election."

Ivory said he will not be beholden to anyone, including developers.

"I don't want anybody's money," he said. "What I want is their help. . . . I know developers. That's another reason I'm not going to take any money. Nobody's going to buy me."

If Tuesday was any indication, the "developer" label will be raised often before Nov. 2.

"It doesn't smell at all good," environmentalist Gale Dick said. "With a troubled county government, we need some strengthening of confidence. The purpose of the county is to regulate development, not grease the skids."

Added government watchdog Claire Geddes: "It's going to make people think twice. Even if he hasn't taken money [from developers], there's going to be a natural bias. A bias is something that's hard to avoid."

To the contrary, countered Ivory.

The new write-in challenger - who has yet to officially file his candidacy - said he will work to protect open space, and he noted that he has given land to ensure it stays as is.

GOP County Councilman Russell Skousen says Ivory adds "huge credibility" to the race. "He has a real chance to make this an issues race," Skousen said. "It's a real positive, regardless of what Nancy does."

Ivory said that he has not talked to Workman, but says his bid is nothing against the mayor. "I do know this: She can't win," Ivory said.

In 1971, Ivory founded Ivory and Co., a land-brokerage and residential-development firm. The company, which has built thousands of homes along the Wasatch Front, became Ivory Homes in 1989. Ivory, now retired, sold the business to son Clark in 2001.

tburr@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Derek Jensen contributed to this story.