On a chilly evening last week, Larsen sat in a folding chair in the audience of a televised debate between his two rivals, Jon Huntsman Jr. and Scott Matheson Jr. Larsen, who hadn't been invited to participate in the actual debate, had to content himself with posting a transcript of the debate on his Web site a couple of days later, inserting paragraphs about what he would have said had he been invited.

Constitution Party candidate Van Horn is used to being ignored. When he ran for governor in 1992, incumbent Leavitt wouldn't even acknowledge him, he said. "I was beneath his consideration. If you see a cockroach on the floor, you don't look at it."

This lack of respect and attention is what will keep Jeremy Friedbaum from running as a third-party candidate again. Four years ago, Friedbaum ran for governor on the Independent American Party ticket. He'd been a Republican before that, racking up an impressive 25 percent against 3rd District Congressman Chris Cannon in the 1998 primary but decided to be the IAP's candidate in 2000 to make sure he'd be on the ballot.

"They're a great bunch of people," he said about the IAP folks. "But there's not much of a chance being elected from a third party." Friedbaum went on a 39 1/2-day hunger strike in 2000 to protest his lack of access to the televised gubernatorial debates. Next time he'll run as a Republican, he says.

Other third-party candidates are more sanguine about the future of nontraditional parties.

"I have complete faith all this will ultimately come to pass," said Larsen of the viability of the Personal Choice party — not just in Utah but nationwide.

As for LaBonte, sitting behind the wheel of his truck, he's only just begun the fight. He may not get many votes in 2004, but he's sure 2006 will be his year.

"Orrin Hatch is in trouble, big time" he said about his future opponent. "He just doesn't know it yet."

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E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com