In about one month, Salt Lake City residents will be voting for their next mayor.
As supporters of Luz Escamilla, we have been happy to observe how many voters actively support her policy proposals. We have also noticed voters weighing two particular issues that we would like to address here. The first concerns her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the second concerns her depth of experience for the job of mayor.
Let’s start with her church affiliation (which shouldn’t matter at all, but inevitably becomes an issue in Utah politics). Some have questioned how Luz’s progressive policies square with her church affiliation. We can speak to this issue from direct personal experience.
When we moved to Salt Lake City in 1999 as a lesbian, Jewish/agnostic couple, Luz was among our first friends and colleagues. We had been doubtful about whether we could live and work comfortably in Utah, and we had plenty of misconceptions about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Luz shattered all of these preconceptions, truly honoring our relationship and showing us unwavering warmth and fierce love and dedication. When Luz’s own brother ended up coming out as gay, she helped her entire family to accept and celebrate him and she has proven to be a stalwart ally of the LGBT community through her entire political career, advocating for LGBT dignity and acceptance both inside and outside the church.
If anything, Luz’s affiliation with the church can help to build more robust, lasting bridges between progressive and conservative Salt Lake City residents and state leaders.
Now let’s turn to Luz’s depth of experience, which is what really matters in the mayoral race. The differences between the two candidates could not be more striking.
The other candidate, Erin Mendenhall, certainly has an inspired vision for the city. She helped to start Utah Moms for Clean Air and Breathe Utah and she has a handful of achievements from her time on the City Council. But that’s about the extent of her preparation for the job of mayor, which oversees thousands of employees and involves juggling hundreds of agendas. There is simply no comparison to Luz’s breadth and depth of experience at the business, executive, legislative and nonprofit levels.
As a state senator, Luz passed more than 50 pieces of legislation, with most of these bills tackling pressing issues for Salt Lake City, such as clean air, homelessness and health care. Luz’s well-honed working relationships with legislators around the state has helped her build the kinds of coalitions that get things done. This is the sort of experience and initiative that she will bring to the role of mayor.
The differences in experience between Luz and Erin are so striking that we can only imagine that voters don’t yet know about Luz’s myriad accomplishments. So let us take a turn beating that drum.
If you want real progress in our city, from a proven legislator that has been an active voice for all residents, there is simply no other choice than Luz Escamilla.
Lisa Diamond (left), Judi Hilman and Tikva
Judi Hilman and Lisa Diamond live in The Avenues.