In the process, they set themselves up for a potential legal battle.

State Democratic Party Chairman Donald Dunn has said his party plans to sue if the Republicans file papers to put Ivory on the ballot to replace Mayor Nancy Workman, the embattled GOP nominee who withdrew from the race two weeks ago, citing medical reasons. Dunn says a doctor's note Workman used when she bowed out doesn't qualify as a reason to replace a candidate under state law, which requires the candidate be physically or mentally disabled.

Republicans argue they want voters to have a choice.

"The central committee had already voted [to say] who their candidate was," said county GOP Chairwoman Tiani Coleman, referring to an Oct. 5 meeting in which the committee dropped its support of Workman, the incumbent mayor, and backed Ivory. Coleman has contended that vote was enough to certify Ivory as the nominee.

In Tuesday's short, emergency meeting, the central committee overwhelmingly supported a resolution to certify Ivory as its candidate and to give Coleman the authority to "take all legal actions necessary to protect the party's interests on this issue."

Ivory quickly accepted.

"I just want to say a great big thank you," Ivory said, after many of the estimated 300 people in the crowd started chanting his name. "I want to promise you this: for the next seven days I'm going to be working every day with a positive campaign to try to win this election."

A group of central committee members tried to pass another resolution that would have simply endorsed Ivory as the candidate, but not put him on the ballot. Other members used parliamentary rules to quash debate.

"I'm afraid we may have won the battle, but lost the war," said committee member Mike Ridgeway, who tried to introduce the rival resolution that raised questions about whether Workman was disabled when she withdrew from the race.

Workman, who is on paid leave and charged with two felonies, left the race Oct. 12 with a doctor's letter that her legal woes "disable" her from continuing in the race without compromising her health. Until she bowed out, Workman had unequivocally vowed to stay in the race.

Democratic nominee for mayor Peter Corroon challenged Ivory to remain a write-in candidate - which Ivory originally planned to be. "As I've said before, the action is at best unethical, and at worst, illegal," Corroon said.

Still, the Democrat said he would not support legal action to keep Ivory off the ballot. "I don't think we should get down in the mud with the members of the central committee who voted to do this," Corroon said.

But independent challenger Merrill Cook said he supports a Democratic Party lawsuit.

"You can't have an honest mayor elected on a dishonest ballot," Cook said.

Dunn, who did not return calls Tuesday night, previously said he asked the Republican Party to have Workman's doctor sign another letter affirming she was disabled; if the party had agreed, Dunn said the Democrats wouldn't sue.

Otherwise, he said, the party had no choice but to sue because it would set a precedent allowing candidates to pull out if they are low in the polls or otherwise tainted, but not disabled.

"Voters are entitled to elections that are fair and legal. We will take court action," Dunn said at the time.

So what's next?

Coleman plans to be at the clerk's office five minutes before 8 a.m. today, ready to certify Ivory as the GOP nominee. Clerk Sherrie Swensen, a Democrat, denied two initial attempts to place Ivory on the ballot because she said the Republicans needed to vote in a meeting to make him the nominee. Swensen's decision is supported by State Elections Director Amy Naccarato, who works for Republican Lt. Gov. Gayle McKeachnie.

After that, the Democratic Party could file a lawsuit in 3rd District Court asking a judge for a restraining order against Swensen placing Ivory on the ballot.

The party probably would have to sue the clerk's office.

tburr@sltrib.com