CEDAR CITY — Cedar City Council candidate Mary Pearson announced on Friday that she is formally withdrawing from this year’s election.
Pearson’s announcement came just one day after she was promoted to a vice presidential role at Southern Utah University.
On Thursday, SUU President Mindy Benson announced the appointment of Pearson as the university’s new chief financial officer and vice president of finance, effective Aug. 1. Pearson has served as the dean of SUU’s Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business since 2017.
Pearson made an announcement on social media on Friday, expressing her appreciation for “the tremendous support I have felt throughout my campaign.”
“It comes with incredible sadness that I will no longer be able to run for Cedar City Council,” she posted to Facebook. “Holding a political office in our amazing community has long been a goal of mine. My decision to withdraw from the candidacy has only come after seeking legal counsel and advice from individuals I admire and respect.”
Pearson added that her reason for stepping out of the race is “to ensure that both of these organizations are not tainted by bias, misrepresentation, and conflict on my part.”
Contacted by Cedar City News for further comment Friday night, Pearson said, “I have felt a lot of support from the community and hope to serve in some capacity in the future.”
Pearson added that she and her supporters have already taken down most of her campaign signs.
Pearson’s exit from the race leaves seven remaining candidates vying for three open seats on the Cedar City Council, meaning there is still the need for a primary election on Sept. 5.
Tyler Melling, who is seeking a second four-year term on the Cedar City Council, is the only incumbent running for re-election this year. Also vying for a seat on the five-member council are Carter Wilkey, Sara Ridgel, Brittany Fisher, Robert S. Cox, Mark Mumford and Kathy Long.
Utah’s general election date is Nov. 21, which was pushed back two weeks to accommodate a special election to replace Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah’s Second Congressional District, who is resigning effective Sept. 15 for reasons related to his wife’s health.
Joining Pearson in a new vice presidential role at SUU will be Tiger Funk, who will take on the newly created position as vice president of operations, also effective Aug. 1. As announced by SUU on Thursday, Funk has been an employed by SUU for 17 years. He currently serves as assistant vice president for facilities management, overseeing facilities operations, leading master planning efforts and managing capital development projects.
In highlighting Pearson’s background, the SUU news release noted that as dean, she led the business school through a significant increase in student enrollment, expanded program offerings including the MBA program, data analytics, entrepreneurship, and professional sales, and deepened alumni and industry connections. Pearson also was a professor of accounting for 17 years at SUU prior to becoming dean.
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