Anyone looking for significant shifts or major new lessons in the outcome of Tuesday's voting in Utah had better be prepared to develop a serious case of eye strain.
Instead, the results serve mostly to reconfirm Utah's reputation as one of the most Republican states in the nation. But then that's surely to be expected in a state that has enjoyed a relatively healthy economy while much of the rest of the country has been suffering.Despite the appearance of some new faces among Utah's top public servants, the state's political complexion remains just about the same at both the state and federal levels.
Though Republicans lack veto-proof majorities in the Legislature, their majorities are comfortable enough to create few sleepless nights for Governor-elect Mike Leavitt. Meanwhile, Jan Graham continues the Democrats' hold on the attorney general's office, becoming in the process the first woman in Utah to hold a statewide post.
Likewise, the balance of partisan power in Utah's congressional delegation remains unchanged - with GOP Rep. James Hansen and moderate Democratic Rep. Bill Orton easily winning re-election, while Karen Shepherd replaced fellow Democrat Wayne Owens in the 2nd Congressional District.
In the race for U.S. Senate, Bob Bennett may have won big in more ways than one. His decisive victory over Owens just might bury any further attempts to tar him with Watergate. Whether Utahns no longer care about the old scandal or consider the allegations against Bennett unproven, the failure of such charges to hurt him now suggests they will be even less effective as time goes by.
One possible lesson from the governor's race involves the apparent failure of some Utah Democrats to learn from their national party. Though President-elect Bill Clinton has tried to move the national party toward the middle of the road, Stewart Hanson insisted on making much more liberal positions the centerpieces of his campaign for governor. His resounding defeat indicates how far those stances remain at odds with Utah's mainstream.
But then some people evidently are more interested in pushing a cause than in anything else. Such certainly seems to be the case with Merrill Cook, whose long track record of previous defeats didn't keep him from seeking the governorship. Whatever else may be said about Cook, his persistence is certainly to be admired. And it has paid off in terms of increased name-recognition and increased clout in setting the agenda of issues that Utahns debate.
In at least one instance, Utahns went much too far in opting for the status quo. We're referring to the rejection of the proposed light-rail system in Salt Lake County. There is indeed room for wondering if Utah commuters would make enough use of such a system, at least initially. But by spurning the proposal, Utahns rejected not only light rail but also expanded UTA bus service. In effect, then, they voted for future gridlock on the main highways. Utah needs to keep pushing some efforts at improving mass transit if it is to keep progressing but minimize its growing pains.
Maybe the light-rail plan was partly an unintended victim of the fight over pari-mutuel gambling. When one highly visible and controversial proposition is defeated, its unpopularity tends to drag down other proposals on the ballot. Wisely, Utah voters rejected the horse racing scheme as economically unsound as well as morally repugnant.
Fortunately, three amendments to Utah's constitution escaped unscathed. But then, since they involved only minor clarifications, they were about as uncontroversial as its possible to get and deserved to pass easily.
Finally, as Utahns congratulate Tuesday's winners, they can also pat themselves on the back. This state often leads the nation in the percentage of its voters going to the polls. More than 80 percent of those registered in Utah turned out Tuesday. The challenge now is for Utahns to take their citizenship responsibilities as seriously during the rest of the year as they do on Election Day.