SALT LAKE CITY — Mayor Jackie Biskupski and her wife are headlining an event for Luz Escamilla’s mayoral campaign.
The mayor’s name appears at the top of a list for a $30 per person event on May 16 at Pierpont Place in downtown Salt Lake City. The event, put on by Sen. Escamilla’s mayoral campaign, is billed as a “Women for Luz Meet & Greet.”
But Mayor Biskupski’s office told FOX 13 it was not an “explicit endorsement” of Sen. Escamilla to replace her.
“She supports women candidates in every race. She helped co-found the non-partisan Real Women Run organization to get more women running. Not an explicit endorsement just a show of support for Sen. Escamilla, especially as she hosts a women’s meet and greet,” said Biskupski spokesman Matthew Rojas. “She will endorse eventually based on what she sees the candidates bring to the table but will always lean towards the women who run.”
Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall is the only other woman in the race (Carol Rogozinski closed her exploratory committee on Wednesday). So far, there are nine candidates for mayor.
Sen. Escamilla’s event next month has a long list of powerful women supporters including Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City; Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D-Salt Lake City; Reps. Sandra Hollins, Stephanie Pitcher, Angela Romero, Elizabeth Weight and Karen Kwan; former state lawmakers Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Jennifer Seelig and Becky Edwards; and Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera, among others.
