No such luck.

Mayor Rocky Anderson propelled her campaign into the limelight this week when he touted the openly gay attorney's fledgling candidacy as part of his call for a more diverse and progressive council.

"That's not really what I wanted the theme of my campaign to be - the non-Mormon, gay attorney who likes Rocky," Marquardt said Tuesday. "I do like Rocky, and I do want to be on the City Council, but that's not all of me."

While six of the seven council members are practicing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Anderson says the council needs more diversity.

"We need it in our Legislature, we need it on our City Council, whether religion, racial, ethnic or gender," he said.

This isn't the first time Anderson has attempted to alter the council's makeup. In the 2003 election, he supported Dennis Guy-Sell - a non-Mormon white male - in his bid to unseat Nancy Saxton, a practicing Presbyterian.

This time Anderson is backing Marquardt to oppose Councilman Eric Jergensen. Three other council seats are up in November, but Anderson says he isn't out to oust all the 2005 incumbents: Jergensen, Carlton Christensen, Jill Remington Love and Dale Lambert.

"I don't even know who's running in those other races. I would support Jane Marquardt if she were the Relief Society president," he said, referring to the LDS women's organization.

Matters of religion are frequently debated in Salt Lake City, headquarters of the LDS Church. While the church boasts nearly 12 million members worldwide, estimates show only about 45 percent of Salt Lake City's population is LDS.

That's why Anderson - himself a nonpracticing Mormon - says the council should be more reflective of the community. "To me, [religion] shouldn't be a criterion in any particular race," he said.

But Anderson adds that he would "like to see a council that's going to do the right things by the city rather than jump to the tune of whoever might call from the LDS Church."

During Anderson's mayoral tenure, LDS leaders have weighed in on two high-profile policy debates: the Main Street Plaza furor and the fight over Nordstrom's downtown location.

Just last week, Anderson voiced concerns that the City Council would side with the church against his push to allow two bars per block.

Marquardt, who is still planning her campaign, declined to comment on her policy positions.

"I'm waiting for the Legislature to be over and all the politics to die down before I announce," she said.

Jergensen says he welcomes Marquardt to the race and "feels bad" that religion has become an issue.

"I've known Jane and worked with her on a number of occasions," he said. "And I don't believe the mayor's comments should set the tone for this election."

lorib@sltrib.com

hmay@sltrib.com