Incumbent Salt Lake City Council member Chris Wharton in District 3 is asking voters to reelect him to a third term this year.
Wharton, an attorney and business owner who is currently serving as council chair, faces four challengers for the seat: software executive Blake McClary; foundation board member and diabetes advocate Liddy Huntsman-Hernandez; health care worker David Berg; and judicial assistant and business owner Jake Seastrand.
Salt Lake City is using ranked-choice voting to determine election winners this cycle. Voters will be able to rank their preferences for all the candidates if they see fit.
The Salt Lake Tribune sent a survey to candidates in the three contested Nov. 4 municipal elections. Answers may be edited for style and clarity. Here’s how they responded, listed in alphabetical order by last name:
What do you believe is the top issue/challenge Salt Lake City faces right now? How would you address it?
Berg: We must end handouts to billionaires, like the rushed deal increasing taxes on Salt Lake City residents and endangering Abravanel Hall, and the $0 handover of historic Utah Pantages Theater and neighboring small businesses to a Texas corporation that quickly bulldozed them, leaving a vacant hole on our downtown Main Street many years later, erasing a former jewel of arts, Salt Lake City, and the West. To help stop shady deals that go against the best interests of residents, we have to get money out of politics. Toward that goal, I’ll enact electoral reform and campaign donations transparency, reducing unfair corporate influence.
Huntsman-Hernandez: Salt Lake City’s biggest challenge is the lack of a real economic plan. We don’t have a Fortune 500 company or strong job base to anchor growth, while housing prices have risen over 40% in five years. The city pledged future sales tax revenue to one downtown project instead of investing in jobs and workforce housing. Without a stronger economy, we can’t fund public safety, mental health, or affordability. We need leadership that builds a sustainable economy for residents.
McClary: Salt Lake City faces four major challenges: housing costs have far outpaced what most families can afford, homelessness rose 18% year over year, our parks and trails aren’t being properly maintained, and our roads are deteriorating. I’ll focus on getting the basics right — housing, parks, and streets — before launching new initiatives.
Seastrand: The housing crisis is the biggest challenge facing Salt Lake City, as it is pricing out essential members of our community. My top priority for City Council, if elected, is to directly address this by calling for more diverse “missing middle” housing options, such as duplexes and town homes, in every neighborhood. This will increase the housing supply and provide more attainable homes for teachers, nurses, and other essential workers who are vital to our city.
Wharton: Affordability, especially in housing, is the top issue I hear from residents in my role on the council and in knocking doors for my campaign. I’ve already been hard at work for us on this issue. I fought for the largest affordable housing investments in the city’s history, adding thousands of income-restricted units over the years. This remains a top priority for me. I’ll keep working to identify diverse housing options, increase resources for our unsheltered residents, expand tenant protections, and make it easier for everyday Salt Lakers to own a home.
What aspects of Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s public safety plan do you believe have been most effective at addressing the problem? What more needs to be done?
Berg: Our public safety plan has failed our most vulnerable. Sweeping encampments and criminalizing poverty don’t make us safer — they leave our unhoused neighbors cold, sick, and afraid. Real safety means housing, health care, harm reduction, and dignity. We need a secure, designated camping space with services — like a shelter, but with autonomy — to protect lives. Justice demands we invest in community-led care, not punishment.
Huntsman-Hernandez: Increasing the number of sworn officers has improved response times and safety downtown, but much of the plan remains unfunded. With a $28.7 million budget deficit and 26% of city spending already going to policing, we must secure sustainable funding and partnerships to expand crisis response, prevention, and mental health programs so officers can focus on crime, not social service gaps created by state and county shortfalls.
McClary: The mayor’s efforts to rebuild the police force and add social workers for non-violent calls are steps in the right direction. But violent crime in District 3 is up 8% this year, and residents still don’t see enough visible policing, including responses to noise and traffic complaints. We also lack good data, since the city’s data-sharing agreement among agencies has not been implemented, making it difficult to measure what is actually working.
Seastrand: Mayor Mendenhall’s focus on data-driven approaches and the expansion of the Rapid Intervention Team is a strong, positive foundation. However, true public safety requires a dual approach. We must fully fund our police and first responders to maintain a tough stance on serious crime, while concurrently investing in long-term solutions: expanding mental health and substance abuse treatment, investing in truly affordable housing, and creating non-law enforcement response options for non-violent crises. This comprehensive strategy is how we build a safe and compassionate community.
Wharton: I support efforts to improve public safety throughout our city. I’m proud of our progress thus far in lowering crime rates, reducing response times, and improving accountability, but we still have work to do to make sure all residents feel safe. We need more shelter beds and supportive housing for our unhoused neighbors, better access to resources and services, and greater coordination across jurisdictions. I’m working to build the partnerships we need to achieve these goals, and I’ll continue to champion supportive efforts to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe.
What steps can Salt Lake City take to make housing more affordable for residents?
Berg: Salt Lake City’s definition of “affordable” housing — based on the area’s median income — reflects the wealthiest among us, not those who actually need help. It allows developers to charge well above market rate and still qualify for public subsidies and relaxed standards. We must redefine affordability using the federal poverty level, the same measure used for Medicaid and free lunch. Let’s build for need, not greed. We also need to ban housing application fees — once prohibited in Salt Lake City — and crack down on junk fees that inflate already excessive housing costs. Housing should serve people, not profit margins.
Huntsman-Hernandez: Salt Lake City can’t solve housing without facing the fact that families are being priced out. Most new units are studios or one-bedrooms, not homes for families. We need stronger job growth downtown and more family housing near TRAX, FrontRunner, and hubs like Marmalade, while protecting the Avenues’ character. Expanding accessory dwelling units, streamlining permits, and requiring 15–20% affordable family units at 60% of the area’s median income through Community Reinvestment Agency and housing and transit reinvestment zone projects will help families stay and thrive in the city.
McClary: Salt Lake City has overbuilt small rental units but lacks for-purchase, family-sized housing like town homes and duplexes. In District 3, we need a clear redevelopment plan for the LDS Hospital site that adds attainable homes for families. The city’s permitting process can take up to 12 months, which drives up costs and delays construction. Streamlining approvals should be a top priority if we want to make housing truly affordable.
Seastrand: To boost affordability, Salt Lake City must take bold action. First, we must update our zoning through changes that facilitate diverse, ownership-focused missing middle housing — giving more families a path to equity and security. Second, we need to require new larger-scale developments to include a larger portion of rent-capped affordable units and help preserve the city’s housing trust fund. Finally, we must simplify permitting and reduce fees for homeowners building accessory dwelling units.
Wharton: I’ve worked diligently to add more affordable housing options for our residents, and I recognize that there’s more to do. I will prioritize zoning improvements to meet affordable unit needs, expand property tax relief programs and home repair grants, and I’ll work with stakeholders and partners to keep costs down for residents. This is a sensitive issue that will require multiple avenues to generate solutions, and I’m committed to finding creative ways to achieve tangible results for access to affordable housing for every resident of Salt Lake City.
Do you support a pay increase for members of the City Council?
Berg: No.
Huntsman-Hernandez: No.
McClary: No.
Seastrand: Declined to answer.
Wharton: No.
Do you support making the proposed Green Loop in Salt Lake City a budget priority?
Berg: Yes.
Huntsman-Hernandez: No.
McClary: No.
Seastrand: Yes.
Wharton: Yes.