Preliminary election night results show incumbents Natalie Larsen and Michelle Tanner are in position to hold their seats on the St. George City Council.
Tanner and Larsen lead two challengers, Jami Leavitt and Greg Aldred, after the four candidates advanced in the August primary.
In their Oct. 13 debate, the four found common ground on a variety of issues the fast-growing southwest Utah city faces, from water to housing to infrastructure.
All the candidates also expressed support for the proposed Northern Corridor Highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, which has stirred heated debate in the community for years. The Trump administration reopened the plan to build the highway through desert tortoise habitat in October after the Biden administration rejected it in 2024.
Both Tanner and Larsen are first-term members on the five-person council.
Tanner co-owns a health and wellness clinic in St. George. She has emphasized her support for limiting government intervention in the economy and her opposition to tax increases. She also highlighted her support for laws that would protect children from “sexualized behaviors in public spaces.” In 2022, Tanner vocally opposed awarding a permit for the HBO show “We’re Here” to host a drag show in a downtown St. George park. Later, a judge ruled the city violated the First Amendment in denying the permit.
Larsen works as a local real estate agent. Her campaign highlighted her record during her first term, including her vote against a property tax increase, her role in preserving local landmarks and her support for the $29 million G.O. Bond that passed in 2023 for parks and rec projects.
Certified results will be available after the official canvass. If Larsen and Tanner hold on, they would win four-year terms.
