Unofficial returns show the race for Provo mayor came down to just a few hundred votes in favor of the challenger, former state lawmaker Marsha Judkins.
Two-term incumbent Michelle Kaufusi won in 2021 by more than 7,000 votes, so her loss came as a surprise to many, including Adam Dynes, an associate professor in political science at Brigham Young University.
“Before I see any election results, I'm going to bet on the incumbent, so I have to say I was caught off guard,” he said.
During her time as mayor, Kaufusi built an airport, two fire stations and a new city hall. She also expanded both the police force and the fire department. When it came to the campaign, Kaufusi received more than double the money in donations as Judkins.
On paper, she seemed to hold the advantage.
However, a closer look at the candidates' campaign finances tells a more nuanced story. Kaufusi received far more money from fewer donors, just 40. Judkins, on the other hand, received less money but from a larger pool of supporters – more than 90 donors.
It’s one example of the grassroots support Judkins was able to drum up. Dynes said that can make a big difference.
“Ground game matters a lot, and meeting with voters, and if you're going door to door and putting a lot of time into that, I think that has a really big impact,” he said. “I think sometimes almost coming off as too polished can be almost a little off-putting to some voters.”
That was a big factor when it came to Mariah Rink’s vote.
“I had a friend who was having a cottage meeting with Marsha, and so I decided to go see what I could learn,” Rink said. “Marsha asked other people questions, asked people's thoughts on what they want for Provo, which was great.”
Rink lives in the same neighborhood as Kaufusi and even voted for her in the primaries. It wasn’t until attack ad mailers from Kaufusi’s campaign showed up on her family’s doorstep that she knew she would change her vote.
“She [Kaufusi] bit off her nose to spite her face,” Rink said. “Instead of her focusing on the things that she could do for Provo, she was focusing on all the bad things that Marsha was as an individual.”
The mailers caused a stir across Provo. When the challenger was asked about them during town hall meetings with voters, Judkins, Rink said, “refused to play dirty,” though on her website, she responded to each claim.
Lara Johnson lives on the west side and shares the same views as Rink on Kaufusi’s campaign tactics.
“As soon as a politician starts bashing their competitors, that's it — I've lost respect for them,” she said.
Johnson voted for Kaufusi in 2021 but feels her side of town was neglected by the previous administration.
“We're always seeing and hearing about things like bike lanes being added over on the east side. It's just sad, so we're excited to have Marsha, who lives on this side, who has lived on this side for over 30 years, and she knows exactly the issues that we face,” Johnson said.
According to an election results map from the county, Judkins overwhelmingly won the west side’s vote.
Even Kaufusi voter Elizabeth Molinaro, who lives on the east side but works at Shoreline Middle School on the west side, was happy when Judkins won.
“I really honestly felt like we couldn’t lose,” she said.
Still, Molinaro liked where Provo was heading under Kaufusi and voted to re-elect her.
“I hear from people I work with who feel that the west side is not as seen or developed or heard, but I don’t live on the west side, so I don’t feel that as deeply in my bones as I do having had eight years of the mayor who I felt really represented me and the people in my area well.”
One issue Judkins campaigned on was loosening laws around private development and starting small businesses in Provo.
This issue resonated with Tyler Fleischman, a 25-year-old father-to-be who runs a small business in south Provo. He wants to build an accessory dwelling unit, or granny flat, onto his home for his aging relatives.
“We are in the zone where ADUs are allowed. We have the financing ready to fund it. We found a builder. They gave us a design. We told them to move forward with the permitting,” he explained.
However, Fleischman said the city had extra hoops to jump through because of “extreme” zoning laws and regulations.
When he began to pay attention to the local elections, Fleischman said he knew immediately where his vote was going. He even volunteered to help with Judkins’ campaign.
“I'm really looking forward to what she can possibly do in regards to cutting the red tape.”
Kaufusi conceded Nov. 6, saying the people of Provo “will always be in her heart.”
Judkins thanked her volunteers, family, and voters and said she "couldn't wait to get to work.”
Election results will be finalized Nov. 18.
