By Christopher Smart
Like many groundbreakers, Salt Lake City Mayor-elect Jackie Biskupski has a steely determination that allowed her to navigate the treacherous political currents of Utah's Legislature as its first openly gay member. She has what they call grit.
She earned her reputation the hard way among mostly white, conservative Mormon men, who weren't sure what to make of a lesbian newcomer. But one-time skeptics now describe her as an energetic and persuasive politician who sets goals and pursues them with collaboration and determination.
On Monday, she will become Salt Lake City's first openly gay mayor and only the second woman in the post.
