Republicans should keep control of the Utah Legislature and the county commissions in most of the larger counties, a look at the candidates who filed Monday night shows.
Democratic Party leaders managed to fill many of the races, but enough are vacant - or filled with candidates who lost races two years ago to Republicans - to show little hope of gaining enough seats in the Utah House or Senate to win control of those bodies in 1996.Still, Democratic leaders are not displeased, although they would have liked to fill all the races. "We have a full slate in the major races, like governor, and all the statewide races," said party chairman Mike Zuhl. Democrats didn't find candidates for 24 House races and six Senate races. But Republicans didn't find candidates in one Senate race and three House races.
To a great degree, the strength of a party is reflected in its candidates. And this year Democrats had a hard time finding a gubernatorial candidate to run against Gov. Mike Leavitt, an internal fight already has erupted in the 2nd Congressional District (see accompanying story) and the retirement of a number of longtime House members puts their seats in question.
The Legislature hasn't been in Democratic hands in nearly 25 years. Democrats are used to that, although they are unhappy about their numbers in the 75-member House and 29-member Senate. Democrats lost seats in the House in the 1994 elections and now only number 20. Their numbers are under one-third, which prevents them stopping Republicans from cutting off debate and ramming bills through over Democratic objections.
Democrats number 10 in theSenate, enough to filibuster if they desire. But there was no Democratic filibuster in the 1996 session, and the tactic has rarely been used in the clubby Senate in recent years.
There will be new minority leadership in the Utah House. Leader Frank Pignanelli decided to retire, Whip Kelly Atkinson is running for the 2nd Congressional District and Assistant Whip Grant Protz-man is running for the state Senate. The three have been the minority leadership for eight years.
Democrats didn't field a candidate in the Utah County Commission race, where GOP in-cum-bent Gary Herbert is being challenged by fellow Republican Jim Larsen. But that isn't unusual, Utah County is one of the most Republican in the nation.
In Davis County, GOP Commissioner Gayle Stevenson is challenged by two Republicans - Burke Larsen and David An-drea-son and a Democrat, Kathleen McConkie Collinwood. But the other two commissioners are Republicans, so Democrats can't win control of that body even if Collinwood is victorious.
The only chance for Democrats of winning control lies in Salt Lake County where Democratic Commissioner Randy Horiuchi isn't up for election this year and GOP Commissioner Brent Overson has seven opponents, including a Republican and two Democrats.
Robert Clark Politz, an industrial quality control manager, filed as a Republican earlier this month. Until the final hours of filing, Overson and Politz had the field to themselves.
But Tuesday two Democrats, two Libertarians, an Independent American party member and someone from the Reform party filed. The newest can-di-dates are Michael L. Brous-sard, Democrat; Paulina F. Flint, Democrat; Lawrence Ray Kauff-man, Independent American; K. Brent Olsen, Libertarian; Bryant Larsen, Libertarian; and Pearl Mei-bos, Reform.
Meibos ran in the 1994 commission race as a Republican against Horiuchi. Now she is running under Utah's newest party, the Reform Party of Utah, started by Ross Perot's United We Stand. The party runs on a platform of fiscal conservatism.
There are a few surprises in Salt Lake County legislative races. Some GOP legislators themselves have been displeased with the performance of Sen. Brent Richards, R-Riverton. With the support of some party insiders, Rep. Mont Evans, R-Riverton, is challenging Richards this year. Evans, who as the House chairman of the bonding committee has angered some conservative colleagues, said Monday: "I can't lose, if I win I'm out of the House, if I lose I'm still out of the House."
In Salt Lake County's House District 27, Ronald Greensides has switched parties. A former Democratic member of the House, he's now challenging Rep. Loretta Baca, D-Salt Lake, as a Republican. Baca beat him two years ago.
Former state Republican Party executive director Greg Hopkins challenges Rep. Mary Carlson, D-Salt Lake, in District 31. And former legislative staff attorney Patrice Arent has filed as a Democrat against Rep. Darlene Gubler, R-Holladay, in District 41.
One of the Utah House's most conservative voices is not coming back: Rep. Reese Hunter, R-Hol-la-day, didn't file for re-election. Hunter has carried a number of ideological bills and resolutions over the years. A strong opponent of redevelopment agencies' right to condemn private property for developers, Hunter the past several years has unsuccessfully tried to rescind Utah's call for a constitutional convention to adopt a balance budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In Davis County, all eight of the Republican House members along with GOP Senate President Lane Beattie filed to run again.
Democrats mounted challenges in the state Senate race, with D. Michael Bingham filing against Beattie, and all but two House districts in the county. Only Republican Rep. Nora Stephens, R-Sunset, has no opposition from either Democrats or a Libertarian candidate.
Bingham filed as a Democrat two years ago in the House District 19 race but was disavowed by the party as being a follower of splinter faction leader Lyndon La-Rouche. LaRouche has run for president five times, the last from a federal prison where he was serving a term for communications fraud.
Bingham readily admitted being a LaRouche supporter and, despite being dumped by the party, his name appeared on the ballot because he filed in compliance with state election law.
Four Republicans lined up to challenge fellow GOP incumbent first-termer Rep. Ted Bradford, R-Bountiful, in House District 20. Bradford is one of the most conservative members of the House and unseated former GOP Rep. Nancy Lyron in a bitter battle two years ago.
Monday, several Democrats got into big races. Former Salt Lake County Commissioner Jim Bradley agreed to run for governor against GOP Gov. Mike Leavitt (see story on B1) and state House Minority Whip Kelly Atkinson gave up his state Senate race and decided to seek the 2nd Congressional District Democratic nomination.
Attorney General Jan Graham, a Democrat, is seeking re-election and D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, wife of retiring state House Minority Leader Frank Pignanelli, filed to run as treasurer against Republican incumbent Ed Alter. Previously, Democrat Karen Truman had filed to run against GOP incumbent state auditor Auston Johnson, who was appointed to the post last year by Leavitt.
Republicans seemed to have a hard time finding a candidate to run against Graham, which is a bit odd since GOP leaders have had Graham in their sights for two years, bragging about her liability in her handling of the state's abortion law appeals. Iron County Attorney Scott Burns, who lost a close race against Graham four years ago, finally filed, as did former assistant attorney general Robert C. Lunnen. Former GOP Attorney General Robert Hansen, who has run unsuccessfully for his old job several times, also filed late Monday as a Republican.
Deseret News staff writers Marnie Funk and Don Rosebrock contributed to this report.