Pete Ashdown, who is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate next year, is holding an "open campaign source" event Monday evening, inviting people who want to get involved in politics in the 2006 election season.

Ashdown is founder and head of XMission, a Utah-based Internet service firm.

And he plans to use e-communication as never before in a statewide campaign. Basically, Ashdown's "open source" is a Web site where interested people can not only navigate Ashdown's own campaign activities but other sites and public debates as well.

Citizens can learn about the site and talk to Ashdown and other supporters from 6-8 p.m. in the Salt Lake City Main Library on the corner of 400 S. 200 East.

In a campaign release, Ashdown said that at the event, he will discuss a variety of issues, including his own campaign strategy and how citizens can use his Web site not only to inform themselves but impact his own campaign.