Election Notes

Bucking its Mormon, conservative traditions last week, Salt Lake City made Deedee Corradini, a Lebanese-born Presbyterian, its first woman mayor. Corradini, who had never held office before, scored a 55% to 45% victory over Republican Dave Buhler, director of Utah's Department of Commerce. Gender was never an issue in the campaign, where crime and pocketbook concerns prevailed. And Corradini worked so hard to keep the race nonpartisan that when state Republicans held their convention a few months ago, she set up a booth among them to attract support. The mayor-elect's female supporters couldn't help crowing a bit. Says Bonnie Miller, a Republican who crossed party lines to vote for Corradini: "The women of Salt Lake City feel a foot taller today."