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John Sittner (left) and Willy Littig on Tuesday join Phil Carroll, center, candidate for Salt Lake City's District 3, who hosted an election night party at the Cucina Restaurant in the Avenues.
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Utah's progressive capital will get its first openly gay City Council member -- and perhaps a further lean to the left -- as voters Tuesday selected the Utah AIDS Foundation's Stan Penfold to direct the diverse Avenues district.

Penfold triumphed over Phil Carroll, head of Community Housing Services, in a District 3 march that sent the candidates in opposite directions over Mayor Ralph Becker's anti-discrimination ordinance and neighborhood bars.

In a tight-to-the-end Sugar House tilt, Salt Lake City residents appear to have awarded Soren Simonsen a second District 7 term over Lisa Ramsey Adams, according to unofficial returns. But the nine-vote margin is headed for a recount after the official canvass -- to count absentee and provisional ballots -- later this month.

"Nine is actually a little bit safer margin of error than I thought it would be," joked Simonsen, who praised Adams' hard work and issues-oriented race. "It's definitely not a mandate, but we're going to keep doing the work we're doing because I think it's the right thing."

An urban planner and architect, Simonsen overcame a nearly 2-to-1 fundraising gap and the defection of three council colleagues he called "puzzling."

Adams, an attorney who walked each precinct twice and even raked residents' leaves, is not conceding the photo-finish contest. "Whether I win or lose I feel like I've won because I've met so many great people," she said. "And I feel like I've

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made Soren think about the way he does things."

On the city's northwest edge, Carlton Christensen cruised to a fourth term, besting Leslie Reynolds-Benns by 67 percent to 32 percent, according to unofficial returns. The margin roughly mirrored the District 1 outcome, with the same two candidates, from four years ago. The Rose Park native argues his veteran voice will help the city navigate the twists of the airport TRAX line, North Temple redesign and the planning of the so-called Northwest Quadrant.

In District 5, Jill Remington Love enjoyed the second-straight stress-free election night. The council veteran has run unopposed both times.

In the Avenues-Capitol Hill district, Penfold and Carroll battled for the open seat vacated by two-term Councilman Eric Jergensen. Each vowed to preserve neighborhood character, prohibit monster homes, slow traffic and guard against real-estate creep from nearby City Creek Center. But while Penfold said he "completely" supports the proposed anti-discrimination measure and is open to neighborhood pubs, Carroll expressed reservations about both.

"This is just a really progressive neighborhood," Penfold said while celebrating at Em's restaurant "The people who live here live here because it's so diverse, and they want to see that continue." He predicted council decisions over the next two years may guide the capital for the next two decades. "I'm really excited about that opportunity."

Gracious in defeat, Carroll said he did everything he could with mailers, phone calls and porch visits. But it wasn't enough to overcome the district's politics.

"It's an interesting phenomenon that's happening," he shrugged.

djensen@sltrib.com