SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake County Democrats are concerned a Republican candidate isn’t being truthful with voters about his deep GOP ties.
Republican Mike Bird is running against Democrat Luke Maynes for Salt Lake County Council’s District 3 seat, Taylorsville, Murray, and West Jordan. He’s campaigning as a bridge-builder—someone who can work across the political aisle.
The seat is open because Council Chair Aimee Winder Newton, a Republican, is stepping down after 13 years. Republicans currently hold a majority on the nine-member council.
But the Salt Lake County Democratic Party says Bird isn’t telling voters the full story.
Salt Lake County Democrats air concerns
In an Oct. 6 Instagram post, the county party said Bird makes “virtually no mention of what party he’s representing on the ballot.”
The post also highlighted his years of work with the Utah Republican Party and criticised his campaign for not acknowledging Bird’s past.
Bird was the party’s treasurer from 2019 to 2023 and served on its State Executive Committee.
“Mike Bird spent years on the Utah State Republican Party executive committee shaping their platform and policies… behind his current persona is a past interwoven with Utah’s establishment GOP,” the post read.
A second post made the same argument.
“If ever there was a year to NOT look past party affiliation, it’s 2026,” the post read.
Jared Eborn, secretary of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party, told Utah Junction the posts weren’t meant as a personal attack on Bird.
“We just want to make sure that voters understand that this is a significant part of Mike’s history, and we want it to not be overlooked,” Eborn said.
Eborn said the party would like to see Bird acknowledge his ties to establishment Republicans.
Eborn and the party’s posts also raised concerns about Bird’s connections to Make America Great Again (MAGA) figures such as Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Tulsi Gabbard.
“If he’s going to run as a Republican and as a bridge builder, I would like to see him say how he can cross that bridge from MAGA to being a collaborative force with what most likely will be a Democratic majority on the county council,” Eborn said.
Bird calls posts ‘attacks’
Bird said the posts were “political desperation,” and not about educating voters.
He told Utah Junction that he felt the posts were attacks.
“While others focus on dividing our community, I’ll continue working to bring people together,” Bird said.
He also acknowledged that he had worked in party politics before.
“I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly that come with it. But even in those roles, I’ve always worked hard to build relationships across the aisle and find common ground,” Bird said.
Bird told Utah Junction he is not aligned with MAGA or President Donald Trump.
He also pointed to his endorsements from across the political spectrum and said he was dedicated to finding common ground. Those include the Equality Utah PAC, which endorsed Bird over Maynes, who is openly queer, in a decision that drew pushback from several Democratic officials last month.
District 3 voters will decide the race on Nov. 3. Check whether you’re registered to vote by filling out the form below.
