Diversity of geography is an important consideration for selecting caucus leaders. In the House majority leader election, Jeff Alexander benefited from his residency in Utah County and Ron Bigelow suffered from representing West Valley City (because Curtis was the favorite choice for Speaker, no one else from Salt Lake County had a chance for another position). Sen. Pete Knudson and Rep. Ben Ferry deftly played the northern Utah card in their campaigns.

Another unusual aspect of these elections is that unsuccessful competitors, who garnered respectable support, retain tremendous influence within the Legislature. Therefore, Ure, Bigelow and Waddoups should land plum committee assignments and are keeping options open for November 2006.

Webb: With a new governor, new lieutenant governor, lots of new department heads, a new House speaker and a new Senate president, it really is a new era in state government.

We haven't seen this level of new blood and freshening in state government for many decades.

A big question is how Gov.-elect Jon Huntsman Jr. will get along with Senate President John Valentine and House Speaker Greg Curtis. There will obviously be a honeymoon, but how long will it last?

The three leaders are all talking cooperation and collaboration, and I think their personalities are such that they will get along just fine on a personal level. None of these leaders is bullheaded or dogmatic. None is on an ideological crusade or has an overriding personal agenda.

Valentine told me the three have met and started "mapping our relationships" and learning how to communicate. "We're trying to understand each other, and we've had a very good dialogue. We're clearly in a honeymoon period."

They have not focused on issues yet but will start those discussions soon.

But while the opportunity for a great executive-legislative relationship clearly exists, no one should expect the political hugs and kisses to continue indefinitely. The very nature of the two branches of government guarantees friction.

The governor can run the executive branch with an iron fist. His is the only vote that counts. By contrast, trying to direct a Legislature is like herding chickens. There are 104 independently elected individuals, each with an equal vote, each with a healthy ego, a mandate and an agenda.