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Cook sees himself as mayor material
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| Contributor | User 13 |
| Last Edited | User 13 Mar 19, 2004 10:29am |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Friday, March 19, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Merrill Cook found a race he hasn't run yet.
The former Republican congressman -- entering his 11th race in 20 years -- filed Wednesday for Salt Lake County mayor as an independent. His candidacy brings the field to five contenders against incumbent Mayor Nancy Workman, a Republican who is seeking a second term.
Cook, a self-described moderate Republican, says he is running sans party affiliation because he wants the county to drop partisan labels. He also says the county government is spending too much.
"The County Mayor's Office needs to really get a grip on the budget of the county, and the county needs to be nonpartisan," Cook said Wednesday after filing. He said the county is top heavy with administrators making high salaries.
Cook, who collected more than 500 signatures to get on the ballot, says as mayor he would create a bipartisan task force to identify and eliminate waste -- potentially saving tens of millions of dollars.
Workman says the budget has improved since she took office and that the county has cut 1,000 positions to make government more efficient. And though she would rather have Cook's support, she said, she welcomes him to the race. The mayor says Cook's addition shouldn't hurt her chances.
"The people will stay with me," she said. "I think they're happy with what we've done."
As for saving millions, Workman says she would like to hear Cook's ideas.
Cook joins two Democrats, Peter Corroon and Marilee Latta; Green Party candidate Diana Lee Hirschi; and Personal Choice challenger F. Joseph Irish in the mayoral race -- one of the more coveted positions because it controls the second-largest government in Utah next to the state.
Cook was successful in two of five bids for Congress, and failed in races for state school board, Salt Lake City mayor, the former County Commission and two times for governor. He also toyed with running for city mayor last year and for governor, but did not enter either race.
He has |
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