Ellis Ivory, who a month ago was focused on his golf game before jumping into the election as the Republican Party's savior, essentially had stopped campaigning Tuesday and was planning a party for his volunteers. Democrat Peter Corroon, who has been stumping for the post for nine months, was scratching for every last vote.

Still, Corroon said he felt "cautiously optimistic" by mid-Tuesday.

Sending out the last thank-you letters to donors at campaign headquarters, Corroon's wife, Amy, was confident her husband will become mayor, but she was hesitant to say so. "You don't want to jinx anything."

Superstition ran high throughout the Corroon camp. The candidate wore a lucky green tie and his pockets carried a crystal that a supporter gave him along with a cutout of a mummy made by his 3-year-old daughter, Sophie.

But Corroon's press secretary, Russ Kennedy, was ready to declare victory at lunchtime. As his candidate ate clam chowder, Kennedy wanted to discuss Corroon's acceptance speech.

"Really gracious, short and sweet," Kennedy suggested.

Corroon then headed to a Smith's Food & Drug in west Salt Lake City, a Democratic stronghold.

Shoppers were sparse, but the ones there backed Corroon. One man walking through the parking lot gave Corroon the thumb's up and shouted: "We're behind you 100 percent." Corroon tried to persuade another man to go the voting booth.

Corroon's twin brother, Chris, suggested moving on to another spot about five times, but the candidate lagged to get one more vote. "This guy looks like he could be a potential voter."

It was a different day on the GOP side.

Ivory, a late entry to the race, had planned to press the flesh and pass out fliers on TRAX cars during Tuesday's rush hour, but that idea was abandoned when he got calls about some polling places that didn't have his name listed on the ballot. The 12 places without the names were fixed quickly.

So instead of glad-handing, Ivory spent the day at campaign headquarters and at home. He took a few hours to talk to a reporter and chatted to family members on the phone.

"Everyone is congratulating me, but I keep thinking of all these fluke things," Ivory said, quickly adding, "I'm not going to be bawling tonight if I lose."

But with hundreds of yard signs planted across the county and a small army of volunteers spreading his message, Ivory wasn't rushing from event to event to woo voters.

The Republican candidate, a write-in hopeful until last week, still was amazed at the machine he and others mustered only four weeks ago.

"We put this together in a matter of days," he said. Asked about his plans after the election, Ivory mentioned a file of newspaper clippings and ideas he has tucked away at home. In the same file are potential hires for a new administration.

"If I'm elected, I'll open it up," he said. "If I'm not, I'll throw it in the garbage."

hmay@sltrib.com;

tburr@sltrib.com