Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson, who has become a close friend, says Anderson could join a high-level think tank, work for an environmental group or "do the higher profile stuff with a national law firm."

Anderson, a former member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah board, has said his real interest is in human rights work. Asked during his re-election campaign where he saw himself in 10 years, Anderson said as an advocate against abuses like those happening in Sudan or past instances in Rwanda and Bosnia.

"The international community is not taking effective steps to eliminate these abuses," he said. "If we were to mobilize political support, we would leave our leaders no choice but to take effective action, so I want to work to bring about that kind of effective advocacy."

Wilson downplays the idea that Anderson is trying to ratchet up his image in order to pave the way for future ambitions. The mayor, after all, has been consistently controversial throughout his tenure. It's not that Anderson has grown radical in recent months. That said, Wilson doesn't think Anderson will run for mayor again.

"My own creeping sense is that he's drifting away from it, slowly," he said.

Anderson has dropped hints that he won't run again.

For instance, at the Sundance Summit, several mayors wondered how they could continue the environmental initiatives they had started even after they leave office and a new mayor, who might be less environmentally friendly, takes over.

Anderson suggested the other mayors could do what he planned to do: back a hand-picked successor who promised to sustain his environmental initiatives. In Anderson's case, that hand-picked successor, at this moment, would be Christensen.

He told a group of mayors at the Sundance Summit that one way to ensure the continuance of a city's environmental programs is to back a successor who promises to keep them, as Christensen has.

Still, at other times Anderson has dropped hints that he might stay.

At a recent impromptu press conference about the retirement of Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse, Anderson may have offered a little Freudian slip regarding his future.

Asked if he would have liked Dinse to stay on, Anderson said, "I would've liked Chief Dinse to stay on throughout all my terms in office."

At that statement, ears perked up and a reporter asked if the innuendo meant he was planning for a third term. The mayor rose from his chair, flashed a devilish smile and ended the news conference without answering the question, even though it was repeated.

Christensen said he has spoken with Anderson several times since it was publicized that the mayor had picked him as successor. The two friends have both agreed that if Anderson runs again, Christensen won't. But if Anderson doesn't run, Christensen likely will.

"He's evaluating his future and I'm doing the same," Christensen said.

One thing Anderson has promised — he won't run for another elected office other than mayor.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche

E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com