For the first time, the Salt Lake County Council might get some gender diversity.

With about 60 percent of the countywide votes tallied, Democrat Jenny Wilson was outpolling Republican incumbent Steve Harmsen - the council chairman - by 4 percentage points. If her lead holds, Wilson could become the first woman on the nine-member council.

Dina Blaes, a Democrat running for the open District 4 seat, also hoped to bust up the all-male council.

Partial unofficial returns put her in a tight race with Republican Mark Crockett, who led by 6 percentage points.

Wilson - the daughter of former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson - campaigned with calls for reform on the council and vowed to get the public more involved in the governance of Utah's most populous county.

She said her message on reform resonated with voters. "Most voters really do want to see some change," she said.

If Wilson wins, the election of Crockett, a business consultant who will replace outgoing Republican Russell Skousen, would ensure a 5-4 voting edge for GOP on the council.

In the two other council races, Republican incumbents Michael Jensen in District 2 and Marv Hendrickson in District 6 led by wide margins. None of the council's three Democrats was up for re-election.

Meanwhile, Republican Sean Thomas led in the Salt Lake County auditor's race. Thomas, a 33-year-old former investment analyst, was outpacing Democrat Peter Stevens by about 8 percentage points.

Thomas was selected as interim county auditor in June after his predecessor, Craig Sorensen, resigned and pleaded guilty to stealing gasoline with his county credit card.

A Wilson victory would send an important message, said Green Party member Diana Lee Hirschi, who fell short in her 2002 bid to become the first woman on the council.

"The gender balance is very important for the sake of women having political rights and women getting into the political system," Hirschi said. "It is exciting and a step forward."

In their battle for the at-large seat, Wilson and Harmsen sounded the siren of ethics reform. Wilson, who has never held public office, called for a citizens committee to review complaints and wants to divide up the budget among council members for hands-on review.

According to the latest financial-disclosure reports, she outspent Harmsen by more than $100,000.

In District 6, Hendrickson, who has spent four decades as a general contractor, held a comfortable lead against Democrat Chris Cage, a paramedic for the Unified Fire Authority.

That leaves Michael Jensen as the council's lone firefighter. The Republican incumbent secured nearly 75 percent of the vote after Democratic challenger Steven Shamy withdrew.

djensen@sltrib.com