The race for Utah attorney general next year could look like an old home week for Salt Lake County government. The leading contenders are both alumni from top county jobs.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says he's decided to seek re-election as the top prosecutor in the state, putting aside speculation he may run for governor.
And former Salt Lake County Attorney Chief Deputy Greg Skordas says, "I'm in the attorney general's race" in challenging Shurtleff.
Shurtleff, a Republican, served two years on the Salt Lake County Commission in the late 1990s.
Skordas, a Democrat, served eight years as current Salt Lake County Attorney Dave Yocom's chief deputy starting in 1986. Skordas left the county prosecutor's office when Yocom was defeated in 1994 (Yocom has since won his old job back) and started a private criminal defense practice. Most recently Skordas defended former Utah Jazz center Olden Polynice on various misdemeanor charges.
Skordas also teaches regular classes for police officers and works in the field of victim rights on the side.
"We're proud of what we've accomplished here in four years and want to finish it up," said Shurtleff, 45. He expected a tough opponent from Democrats, but he says he could even be challenged within his own Republican Party "by some members of the extreme (right) who don't think I'm conservative enough."
Skordas, 45, said he would have run for attorney general four years ago but stepped aside for then-deputy attorney general Reed Richards, a Democrat who was ultimately beaten by Shurtleff.
Skordas said, "I would have run for D.A. (in Salt Lake County) two years ago," but his former boss Dave Yocom was in the race. Skordas said his family has planned a campaign for a top prosecutorial job for several years. "Now's the time," Skordas said.
"I know Greg well. He's a good man, a good attorney," said Shurtleff. Shurtleff said when he was an assistant attorney general years ago, "I got Greg involved as an administrative law judge, and we've taught (legal) classes together. I expect this to be a professional race, above board."
But Skordas says while Shurtleff "is a good administrator, good with public relations — he's always holding press conferences" — the Attorney General's Office needs to focus more closely on helping local prosecutors.
"I probably know every county attorney in this state," Skordas said. He's practiced in every judicial district in the state and believes local district attorneys need more state help in investigating and bringing expensive, complicated cases to trial.
Shurtleff says that is an odd complaint to make against him. He was recently elected chairman of the local prosecutors association "by a unanimous vote." County attorneys must think he's doing a pretty good job, Shurtleff said.
Skordas points to the work he's doing on behalf of police officers — "often I represent them" in trials — as well as teaching law enforcement legal updating classes and victims' rights as a way to show he has the respect of the prosecuting side of the criminal equation. In other words, he's no liberal defense attorney.
Shurtleff says his strong support of hate-crime legislation has cut against the GOP political grain, showing he can stand against his party when need be.
There are extremes on both sides of the political spectrum "who may not like me because of hate-crime legislation or prosecuting polygamy," Shurtleff said. But he's always done what he believes is right, he adds.
Shurtleff pushed GOP colleagues in the 2003 Legislature to support a Democrat-sponsored hate-crimes bill, one that included sexual preference as one of the defining categories. Conservatives, including Frank Mylar, whom Shurtleff beat in 2000 for the GOP attorney general nomination, opposed Shurtleff. The bill ultimately failed.
While the attorney general is an administrator, Skordas said it's also important for him to have hands-on trial experience. "I've sat down with victims, prepared cases, made charges and gone to trial and won. I don't think Mark can say he's done any of those things."
Wrong, says Shurtleff, who worked as an assistant attorney general and section chief under former Democratic Attorney General Jan Graham. "I have done those things. But criminal prosecution is only 20 percent of the work up here.
"A good attorney general has to have vision, leadership, be able to oversee the largest law firm in the state — more than 200 attorneys and that many again in staff — all on a very limited budget. And I've done that."
Shurtleff raised and spent $600,000 in his 2000 election. "I can do that again — spend the money in the (GOP) convention and primary if I have to — and in the final election and win," said Shurtleff.
Skordas said he'd jump-start his campaign financially through personal donations, having put some money aside anticipating a run for public office. "There are a number of folks out there who've told me over the years they'd contribute" if he ran for office. "Now we'll see if they will."
E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com