Representative-elect for Utah's 4th congressional district Ben McAdams is one step closer to making his way to Washington, D.C.

The Salt Lake County mayor submitted his letter of resignation on Monday, stating that it will take effect on Jan. 2.

In the letter, McAdams said he was honored to serve as the county mayor for the past six years and highlighted various developments within the county that included work on homelessness, criminal justice and establishing a pre-K education program to serve low-income families.

“We took bold, bipartisan steps to reform homeless service through unprecedented collaboration,” McAdams wrote. “In forming the Collective Impact on Homeless committee, we convened numerous stakeholders and took a data-driven approach to a complex issue.”

Much of McAdams’ campaign against Rep. Mia Love focused on his interest in pursuing “bipartisan solutions” to problems facing Utahns and the country. The county mayor stressed that idea again in his resignation letter multiple times.

“At the county, we come together in a bipartisan fashion to ensure responsible financial decisions that best serve taxpayers …” McAdams wrote. “Our financial discipline consistently results in a AAA bond rating resulting in lower interest payments and tax dollar savings.”

The list of candidates to replace McAdams is crowding quickly. On Friday, Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, who lost to Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate race, announced her interest in the position. Not long after, former U.S. House District 2 candidate Shireen Ghorbani, who lost to incumbent Chris Stewart, announced her intent to become the county mayor.

Ghorbani made affordable health care a central part in her campaign, partly because of her mother’s death as a result of cancer in 2016 and the bills they were left to pay. She reiterated that idea in her county mayor campaign announcement.

“Every family deserves affordable health care, quality economic opportunities, and the right to a dignified quality of life,” Ghorbani tweeted. “The county is the place where policy and resources intersect to guarantee these issues and so much more.”

Wilson said in her announcement Friday that she would not only look to continue McAdams’ success in the county, but wants to fill that seat in the 2020 mayoral election as well.

“Having been out on the campaign trail recently in a different capacity, I can tell you going around this state listening to the needs of people will actually make me a better county mayor,” Wilson told the crowd on Friday. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from City Weekly.

Additionally, the Deseret News reported that current county councilman Arlyn Bradshaw was “absolutely” considering competing for the seat, but wouldn’t make an announcement until sometime this week.

What is certain, is the mayoral seat will remain in Democrat hands. The county also leans heavily Democratic, as seen by Ghorbani’s performance against Stewart—she won nearly 67 percent of the vote in the county, but lost every other county in the district that stretches from Salt Lake City to Washington County.

The Salt Lake County Democratic Party’s Central Committee will have 30 days following the vacancy to pick a replacement. The committee consists of about 1,100 members that will vote on the county’s next mayor.