But this time Cannon will apparently be facing a more difficult intra-party battle as wealthy Utah County Republican businessman John D. Jacob appears likely to enter the race. Unlike Matt Throckmorton, Jacob won't be a single-issue, anti-immigration candidate. In a brief discussion I had with Jacob, he made it clear that while he differs with Cannon on immigration and would take a harder line, he doesn't slip over the edge into bigotry or racism. While immigration is an important issue for him, his campaign, should he run, will be more broadly based than that.

In fact, if the national anti-immigration zealots get involved in Cannon's race next year and come into town with nasty advertising and negative charges, Jacob would be wise to distance himself from them. If those groups get too strident, they could easily create a backlash of sympathy votes for Cannon. Witness what happened to John Swallow last year when national Republican groups tried to trash Rep. Jim Matheson on his behalf. Utahns don't tolerate mean-spirited campaigning.

It's going to be an interesting year ahead for Cannon, dodging bullets from the anti-immigration zealots, while fending off a serious challenge for the GOP nomination from a solid, mainstream Republican who can hire top-notch campaign help and self-finance a good chunk of his campaign.

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Republican LaVarr Webb was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. He now is a political consultant and lobbyist. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. A former candidate for Salt Lake mayor, Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as House minority leader. Pignanelli's spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is executive director of the state Department of Administrative Services in the Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. administration. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.

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