A presidential candidate would have had to file for the presidency in Utah at the mid-March candidate filing deadline (and at the same time filed for the other Utah office they were running in) and then have to make a choice of races after actually winning their party's presidential nomination, said Naccarato.

Workman was never running for president, only county mayor.

And so far, Workman says she's continuing her re-election effort. She launched a television-ad campaign last week. The ad obliquely refers to the charges against her, with various people saying "it's just politics" and "they should just let her do her job."

Stephens said, "We (Republicans) do care about her race. The county budget is like the second largest in the state, behind the state budget. And it is an important post."

He added that a number of Republicans are worried a politically-crippled Workman could drag down some other GOP candidates on the ballot.

"It all depends on the voters' minds" come Election Day, Stephens said.

Sixteen GOP House members face re-election this year in Salt Lake County. And a few, like Reps. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, and Chad Bennion, R-Murray, narrowly won in 2002 and are targeted by the Democratic Party this year.

Workman has said previously that she won't get a doctor's note saying she can't continue the race. And Corroon has threatened to sue if she does, claiming she's not really mentally disabled.

"I don't think she will do that; and I wouldn't suggest that she do," said Stephens.

And that leaves few options, he said, and the reason the law will be changed come the January general session.

"It looks like now it will be very difficult for her to be successful" in her re-election, said Stephens, who has been a leader in GOP politics for a dozen years, "especially if she can't get to trial (and be acquitted) before the election, which looks like the case."

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