Although it's the would-be Republican candidates for attorney general who are getting most of the attention on Capitol Hill, Democrats are also eyeing the race.
Both Solicitor General Jan Graham and House Minority Leader Frank Pignanelli, D-Salt Lake, are close to announcing they'll run. Both have heard about efforts to make the job more attractive to potential GOP candidates."There's something disheartening about that," Pignanelli said. "The salary was OK for (Democrat) Paul Van Dam, but all of a sudden the Republicans are worried about their only announced candidate, that he won't be able to win, so they try to entice someone else."
Local attorney Michael L. Deamer, who served on the staffs of former attorneys general Robert Hansen and Vernon Romney, is the announced GOP candidate. Deamer has kept a low profile since entering the race last November.
Graham said she agrees the attorney general's salary needs to be increased, although she is resigned to earning much less than she made in private practice before joining the attorney general's office.
"There is a tremendous need for the salary to be more realistic for a practicing attorney," Graham said. "My husband and I have decided to tighten our belts."
Another Democrat considering the race is W. Paul Thompson, who was mayor of Sandy from 1978 until 1982. Since then, he has practiced law with an emphasis on municipal and real property law.