SALT LAKE CITY — They met in the Utah Legislature, two up-and-coming Republicans, tall and good-looking guys, maybe a bit cocky.
But why not?
They already had political success in their 30s, with good careers, and they were married and raising young families. As part of the powerful Republican political machine, they were rubbing shoulders with the state's top political leaders.
And they could well become part of that crowd, both hoped.
But within two years, the political and personal lives of Sheldon Killpack and Mark Walker crashed on the rocks of public limelight.
They were out of the Legislature because of bad personal and political decisions. And while one has gone through Utah's criminal legal system, the other is now starting that painful journey.
Still, they stayed friends.
Killpack stood by Walker as he was overwhelmed and washed aside in his race for state treasurer in 2008. Walker resigned his Sandy House seat in June 2008 faced with a House ethics investigation over bribery charges leveled at him in the GOP state treasurer nomination race.
And Walker was with Killpack Thursday night when the former Senate majority leader was pulled over for investigation of DUI just after midnight, arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County jail.
Both men are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Killpack admitted to the Deseret News Saturday — when he announced his resignation as the second most powerful member of the state Senate — that he is a social drinker. It is not known if Walker was drinking or not that evening.
But further questions are now swirling around Walker, too. If he was sober, why didn't he take the wheel instead of letting his friend drive?
And Walker also is suffering from the Thursday night incident. Friday, he quit his new job as an economic development manager for West Valley City — a job he was enthusiastic about and hoped was a move toward rebuilding his career, friends said Sunday.
"He's just another sad story, along with Sheldon," said one top GOP legislator. "I don't know what Mark is going to do now." He added that the aid Walker received in 2008 from political friends may not be coming around a second time.
Walker's fall
Walker decided to make the big jump from being one of 75 House members to running for state treasurer in 2008 in large part because of all the support he received from fellow GOP lawmakers.
Killpack was one of his strongest supporters, even giving a nominating speech for Walker in the May 2008 GOP convention.
Walker came out of the convention ahead of then-deputy treasurer Richard Ellis. But after each failed to get 60 percent of the vote, Ellis and Walker faced each other in the June closed GOP primary.
Upon advice from others, sources say, Walker made a terrible decision — he told Ellis if he would get out of the intraparty race, Ellis could keep his job as deputy treasurer. It was learned later that Walker said he could probably get a raise for Ellis, who said later he was offered a $50,000 a year increase in pay.
Ellis — who already was not the best-liked guy for playing tough when he was former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s budget director and had money fights with Republican legislators — went public with the discussions.
There was a lot of finger-pointing, some saying it was common in Utah politics for one party candidate to try to make a deal to get another party candidate to get out of a race. Others said it was bribery.
It's a tough political call one way or the other.
In 1986, then-U.S. Rep. David Monson, R-Utah, was facing a tough re-election against Democratic challenger Wayne Owens, who had been a popular 2nd District representative a decade earlier. Leading Republicans feared Monson would lose the seat and they offered to help the former CPA get a good job back in Utah if he would step aside for a stronger Republican candidate. Monson didn't seek re-election. But he remained bitter for years afterward when the same leading Republicans didn't help him get a good job back home.
"It is not uncommon to ask (dueling) party candidates if they really want to face a bitter primary or convention fight," longtime GOP campaign strategist Dave Hansen said during the Walker meltdown two years ago. Hansen is now state GOP chairman and, as such, watched with pain and concern as Killpack fell from grace this past week.
After Walker lost the 2008 primary to Ellis, amid the public discussions of bribery, with the signatures of several fellow House Republicans, Walker faced an internal House ethics investigation. But facing all his other troubles, Walker resigned his Sandy district seat a day before the ethics panel met.
Again, Killpack stood by his friend.
Various Republicans, and a few lobbyists, rallied around Walker and helped him sign up some lobbying clients for the 2009 Legislature.
Just before the Legislature convened, Walker agreed to a plea bargain with the Salt Lake City prosecutor. (The criminal investigation had been a political football. GOP Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who had supported Walker's bid for treasurer, nominated two county attorneys, one a Democrat, another a Republican, to be special prosecutors in the Walker case. They looked into it but finally punted it to the Salt Lake City attorney, since the charges were misdemeanors, not felonies.)
Walker took a plea in abeyance to a Class B misdemeanor for elections violations, paid a $250 fine and agreed to 100 hours of community service.
He talked about how glad he was to get himself and his family out of the political spotlight and was going to rebuild his professional career.
But being a lobbyist meant he had to stay in contact with the legislative milieu of special interests, fundraising, gossip and glad-handing.
The Killpack incident happened after both men attended a fellow GOP lawmaker's campaign fundraiser in Murray. (No alcohol was served at the fundraiser.)
Killpack's rise
Meanwhile, Killpack took on a dangerous task in 2008 — he challenged then-Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, for the top party post in the Senate.
Bramble had had his own political problems, and Killpack was direct in his criticism, saying as Senate majority leader he would be a kinder, gentler leader, not a confrontational politician both inside and outside of the Capitol.
Intraparty leadership challenges are some of the most bitter battles. Fought mostly behind the scenes, leadership candidates often don't know where they really stand, as the caucus leadership votes are secret. Leadership candidates can pour tens of thousands of dollars from their own campaign accounts into winning a leadership race — giving the money to incumbents of their own party and their party challengers in Democratic-held seats.
Then-Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, also was challenged in 2008, and both he and Bramble fell.
Killpack joined Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, in sweeping the old guard aside, and they found themselves two of the most powerful officeholders in the state.
Quickly, Killpack was seen as a man to be dealt with. He often spoke at GOP leadership press conferences and took a leading role in several difficult issues, from sanctioning Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, for disparaging remarks about gays made during the 2009 Legislature, to stepping into an ethics reform void after Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, was picked to be Gov. Gary Herbert's lieutenant governor.
In fact, Killpack, relishing his new leadership role, took himself out of the running for the lieutenant governor appointment as Herbert looked around for a second-in-command last year.
Those close to Killpack said he didn't want to spend several years on the rubber-chicken circuit as lieutenant governor and believed if higher office was for him, he could seek that on his own, not on Herbert's coattails.
Hopes of higher office imploded for Walker in 2008. And his friend followed this past week.
"They were good guys. Especially Sheldon, he will be a real loss to the Senate. He was reasonable. You could work with him. This was all so unexpected, first with Mark and now with Sheldon," said another GOP legislator on Sunday.
"I don't know what is going to happen to (the GOP leaders') ethics (reform) agenda; it is certainly a setback in that area," he added.
Some may take the latest misstep to again slam legislators' ethics — saying here was a high GOP legislative leader out allegedly driving drunk with a lobbyist.
But that really is not the story, fellow legislators say.
Said one Republican: "They were friends. They stayed friends after Mark's problems. And now Sheldon is gone, too."
What now?
Senate Republicans will meet in caucus Wednesday to elect a new majority leader. Any GOP senator may seek the post. Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, believes Majority Whip Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, may just move up one slot to the vacant post.
Soon GOP delegates to former Sen. Sheldon Killpack's north Davis County District 21 will meet to pick a replacement. House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton, said Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, has already said he wants the seat, Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, also may stand for the seat. Others may get in the race, also, Garn said.
Once the name comes up, Gov. Gary Herbert will formally nominate that person, and the Senate will swear in him or her. The general session starts Jan. 25.
e-mail: bbjr@desnews.com