A shake-up could well be coming to the Democratic good ole boy leadership in the Utah Senate, making way for the first female Senate leader in Utah history, Republican or Democrat.
With the defeat Saturday of Sen. Fred Fife, D-Salt Lake, by Luz Robles in the Salt Lake County Democratic convention, the stage is set for a completely new type of minority leadership in what has come to be known as one of the most exclusive of Utah's men's clubs — the 29-member Utah Senate.
"It is entirely possible that we could have a woman (minority) leader" for Senate Democrats, said Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, who serves as Democratic assistant whip — third in line in minority leadership. "Utah Democrats have always stood for opportunities for women and people of other backgrounds. And it would be wonderful if there was a woman leader."
"I don't know if (female Democratic senators) would vote in a bloc for leadership," said Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, who seeks to unseat Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Sandy, this year. "With all the new faces" among Senate Democrats coming, "I'm sure there will be a change" in Democratic leadership. "But I can't say what that will be now, it's still so early," said Morgan.
Gone is Fife. But the good ole boys on the Democratic side of the aisle have also lost former Sen. Eddie Mayne, D-West Valley, who died of cancer last year and was replaced by his wife, Karen.
Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, is retiring. The popular Dmitrich, in the Legislature since 1969, operated on a get-along, come-along, strategy. Rarely did Dmitrich oppose the Republican majority or criticize the majority's policies; he yearly was one of the major recipients of lobbyists gifts; and while many House Democrats pushed legislative ethical reforms, Dmitrich opposed most of them.
With Fife, Eddie Mayne and Dmitrich gone, the core good ole boys left are Senate Majority Whip Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake, and Minority Caucus Manager Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley — who got their leadership posts as part of the Democratic senators bloc who elected Dmitrich their leader.
Sen. Karen Mayne said she is pleased that there are more women in the Legislature but that she will vote for the best Democratic Senate leader, regardless of gender.
Morgan's win is in no way assured — Walker is a tough, well-financed incumbent. But that Senate district was held for years by former Senate Minority Leader Scott Howell, so Democrats can win there.
If Morgan wins, there will likely be four female Democratic senators: Eddie Mayne routinely coasted to victory in his West Valley district, so Karen Mayne's victory is likely; and Robles' west-side Salt Lake City district is usually safe Democratic. Four female Democratic senators is the most any can remember.
And assuming that Morgan's win is the only party change coming out of the 2008 elections, the four Democratic women would need only one vote from their male party colleagues to have control of what would be a nine-member minority in the Senate.
Should Morgan lose, female Democratic senators would need two male votes to take over the leadership races.
Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, an openly gay legislator, and Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, an Hispanic, are more liberal in their views than their old boy Democratic colleagues.
McCoy said: "I have great confidence in each and every one of the women in our minority caucus. And I have great respect for the two that might join us. I'd certainly entertain the idea of a female minority leader."
But McCoy said he, too, will run for some leadership post — maybe even the top post of minority leader. "And wouldn't that be groundbreaking," he said — Utah having an openly gay Democratic legislative leader.
"There is going to be change" in leadership "and it should be a spirited contest," McCoy said.
McCoy added that in Saturday's Democratic Salt Lake County convention Cora JcKowski was picked as the nominee to challenge Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville. JcKowski lost to Waddoups four years ago, 40-57 percent. "But should lightning strike and there is a (political) realignment this year" in legislative races, said McCoy, "We could have five women Democratic senators, and wouldn't that be something."
Neither the Senate nor the House have ever had a female Senate president or House speaker, staffers say. There have been women representatives leading their House party caucuses as majority or minority leaders. The last was former House Majority Leader Chris Fox, R-Lehi, in the mid-1990s.
Utah has had one female governor, Olene Walker who served out the term of former Gov. Mike Leavitt, who resigned and joined the Bush administration in November 2003. And the state has had one female attorney general, Jan Graham, who served two terms in the 1990s. There has never been a female U.S. senator from Utah, but there have been several U.S. House members.
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com