| Updated: 9:40 p.m.
Utah Democrats selected physician Rosemary Lesser to fill the open seat in the Utah House due to the death of longtime legislator LaWanna “Lou” Shurtliff, who died at the end of December.
The 37 Democratic delegates in House District 10 picked Lesser over seven other candidates Saturday. The election was conducted via ranked-choice voting, and Lesser triumphed on the fifth ballot.
Lesser told The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday afternoon that she would not have had this opportunity without Shurtliff’s “hard-won victory” in November.
“I am very honored as to be able to, in a small way, attempt to carry on her legacy and serve as a citizen legislator,” Lesser said.