Hatch may face stiff competition this round

Smith went on to lose that fall to Democrat Jim Matheson, who has held the 2nd District seat since.

Hatch is not in the same position as Cook was five years ago.

Where Cook's popularity numbers were falling, Hatch's remain high. (A recent Dan Jones & Associates poll for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV shows 72 percent of Utahns approve of the job Hatch is doing, 87 percent of Republicans approve — both very good numbers.)

However, starting with former GOP Gov. Mike Leavitt in 2000, there has been a growing restlessness among some Republicans to the long-serving status of top officeholders.

Utah is a very Republican state where party loyalty is valued. But if ambitious young people have to wait 20, 30 or even 40 years to get a real shot at an open seat in a major office — well, it's only natural that some credible challengers like Urquhart will step up.

(Remember, Bennett said in 1992 that he'd only serve two, six-year terms. But he changed his mind and ran and won a third term in 2004.)

Of course, like Emerson, Urquhart may find it difficult to raise money and/or put on a credible challenge.

Said one GOP strategist: Maybe Urquhart will give it a try and get out, but maybe some rich guy from Salt Lake County (seen as the political base needed for a statewide race) will then get in to challenge Hatch, spending millions of his own dollars to do it.

That's what Smith did in 2000, signing up to run against Cook just minutes before the candidate filing deadline passed.

Utahns have not elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 1970.

And Urquhart says should he become the Republican nominee, he will beat any Democrat thrown against him — just as Hatch would win in 2006.

The question raised to Hatch this week is — will Urquhart be the first and only GOP challenger, or are more coming down the road?

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com