"Some may be surprised that I picked a guy who lives 10 miles up the road from me," said Hansen, a Farmington native. "But that (geographic balance) doesn't matter. You run for all of Utah and serve all of Utah," he said.

Stevenson added that a Hansen/Stevenson administration would work to build Utah from within. "The state should not be giving tax breaks to out-of-state businesses to get them to locate here. We should be helping build Utah businesses who can't compete fairly" with out-of-state firms who are given tax incentives locals don't get.

For some time, Stevenson said, Hansen had been plumbing him, asking him for names of good local officials who could serve as lieutenant governor. "After I'd named a number, with their qualifications, he said I had all those — and he asked me to do this about a week ago." After a bit of consideration, Stevenson said yes.

While admitting it's late in the pre-convention race to swing many delegates Hansen's way, Stevenson said he has many friends among local government officials who are GOP delegates. "And I've already been calling some" asking them for support Saturday.

"You know," Hansen said, "in 2000 (then-governor) Mike Leavitt went into the convention thinking he had 71 percent support. I know what he thought because my daughter-in-law Amy (Hansen) was counting for him. He came out with 53 percent" and faced an unknown challenger in a primary.

The lesson learned: Those who are saying this or that candidate will come out Saturday are just guessing, said Hansen.

Referring to wealthy candidates who are wining and dining delegates this weekend, Hansen said: "I'd love to be one of those guys who can lavishly give everyone what they want. I have nothing against my good friends (in the race) who have spent years amassing great wealth. But I've been a public servant, and we'll have to (end the pre-convention race) our way."

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com