Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, says he'll meet with President Bush before announcing what race he'll enter next year.
Republicans in the national Republican senatorial committee asked Hansen not to announce anything until Bush talks to him, Hansen said in an interview at the Utah GOP Organizing Convention Saturday. "You don't say no to a request like that. I don't know what I'll say (to Bush) or when the meeting will take place."Hansen expects Bush to pressure him to run for the Senate in 1992. Several weeks ago Sen. Jake Garn, R-Utah, announced he wouldn't seek a fourth term in 1992. The Republicans need several more seats to take control of the U.S. Senate.
Hansen is trying to decide if he'll run for governor, U.S. Senate or seek re-election to his 1st Congressional District in 1992. "I'll be a candidate for something next year. Depending on what time of day and what I've just eaten I favor one race over the others," he joked.
The congressman, who has served in local, state and federal government for 31 years, said he'll ask Gov. Norm Bangerter, a fellow Republican and long-time friend, to quickly call a special session of the Legislature to decide the new congressional district boundaries. Bangerter is vacationing in Europe but will return to Utah this coming week.
"Iowa and a number of other states have already adopted their new boundaries," Hansen said. "I don't want to wait until October or November (to find out his district's new boundaries)." Neither do Reps. Wayne Owens and Bill Orton, both D-Utah, Hansen said.
The Republican-dominated Legislative Redistricting Committee has tentatively set a completion date of late September or October for redistricting the congressional, legislative and State School Board districts. Bangerter could call a special session in October or November, but Hansen thinks that's too late. Hansen suggests the congressional redistricting be done first, and separately, from the Utah House and Senate and State School Board redistricting, which will take longer to work out.
State GOP leaders are discussing several congressional plans, with no firm recommendations yet. But two plans are now looked on with favor. They are only half-jokingly referred to as the Hansen-in and Hansen-out plans.
The Hansen-in plan - meaning Hansen seeks re-election to his House district - leaves Hansen's 1st District nearly intact. The 1st District takes in Davis and Weber counties and counties in northern, western and southwestern Utah.
The Hansen-out plan, which has Hansen running for governor or U.S. senator, moves the 1st District into Salt Lake City, trading city dwellers - many of whom are Democrats - for southern Utah Republicans.
Hansen doesn't think much of the "Hansen-out" plan. "I don't want to give up my southern Utah constituents," Hansen said Saturday. "I love those people." Majority Republicans in the Legislature will redraw Hansen's district and likely be kind to him if he seeks re-election. "I don't have a veto over what they'll do, but I don't think they will maliciously run over the top of me, either. It's more like `let us reason together,' " Hansen said.