OGDEN, Utah — Taylor Knuth’s love for his community started off through different volunteer and engagement events, which propelled him to run for the seat of Ogden city mayor.
“Building community, creating connections and preserving character in our city, and it’s a vision that’s inclusive of everyone,” said Knuth.
He has worked in fundraising roles to help non-profits in Ogden, and is currently the deputy director in the department of economic development for Salt Lake City.
“The basics of good government can be something as simple as installing a park bench in our local neighborhood park, so that we have the opportunity to create connections with our neighbors, or something as big as public transportation and ensuring that our roads and sidewalks are safe for us and our families to travel,” explained Knuth.
Knuth added that if elected, he would be the first queer person of color to be a mayor in the state, and the first openly gay mayor of Ogden city.
“I say often that Ogden city is the city that built me. I started my career here, I built my family here, I bought my first home here and I’ve been able to watch our community grow alongside each other for the last 12 years.”
He's hoping to continue to be a champion for his community, and being able to make a difference.
“For me, being mayor doesn’t change what I do or what I’ve done in the city, it changes the impact that we can have as a community,” he said.
The Ogden primary election for the mayoral seat is currently underway with 7 candidates vying for the spot. The city's current mayor, Mike Caldwell, announced earlier this year that he would not run for re-election after this third term.
Every active voter in Ogden receives a ballot in the mail and all are eligible to vote in the mayoral race. The top two candidates from the primary election on Sept. 5 will face off in the general election on Nov. 21.
Ballots have already been sent out with votes able to be cast by or on election day. Residents can verify their voter registration, view a sample ballot and learn more about all the candidates at vote.utah.gov.
The deadline to register to get a ballot in the mail is Friday at 5 p.m., with in-person voting taking place at the Weber Center from Aug. 29-Sept. 1 from 12-6 p.m., and on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
