Erin Mendenhall


Erin Mendenhall is an American politician who serves as the mayor of Salt Lake City.

Early life and education

Mendenhall was born in Arizona and moved to Sandy, Utah when she was seven. Mendenhall graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Gender Studies and later earned a Masters degree in science and technology management.

Career

She was elected to the Salt Lake City council in early 2014, and improving air quality became her signature issue. Later that year she announced a romantic relationship with fellow council member Kyle LaMalfa, which began while she was divorcing her husband Jared Mendenhall. She and LaMalfa disclosed their relationship to City Attorney Margaret Plane who stated there were no legal or ethical problems. Some city council members thought their relationship should remain private, while others thought the revelation was in the public's interest to the possibility of "perceived conflict." She and LaMalfa later married.
In the 2019 Salt Lake City mayoral election, Mendenhall defeated State Senator Luz Escamilla to become the 36th mayor of Salt Lake City. Mendenhall is the city's third female mayor.
In April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a police affidavit, Mendenhall was threatened by a man who "stated the mayor needs to open up the city. If she doesn’t, she’ll be forcibly removed from office. There’s a protest tomorrow and if things don’t change, a civil war is coming, and the police can’t stop me." The man was arrested and booked for making a terroristic threat and electronic communication harassment.