WASHINGTON — About 25 Republicans, including Rep. Chris Cannon of Utah, are calling for their party members in the House to elect a new slate of leaders.

Rep. Tom Delay, R-Texas, left his Majority Leader spot following charges of conspiracy and money laundering and Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., has vacated the position of Republican Policy Chairman to run for Delay's former leadership role.

But Cannon, R-Utah, and other Republicans have signed a letter circulated by Republican Reps. Dan Lungren of California and. John E. Sweeney of New York calling for the House Republican Conference to select a whole new leadership team. House Speaker Dennis Hastert would not fall into this category because he is selected by a vote of the whole House.

"The circumstances of the past year have called into question the future of the United States House of Representatives," according to the letter. "The time has come for our party to address these circumstances and engage in an open dialogue about the direction of the House. The current environment requires a fresh direction and clarity in our vision for the future."

If the appeal gains support, Republican Conference Chairwoman, Rep. Deborah Pryce of Ohio, Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston and California Rep. John Doolittle would keep their elected House seats but would be forced to run for re-election for their leadership positions within the conference. The conference includes all House Republicans.

"Sometimes, upsetting an apple cart is a good thing, and as we commence a critical session of Congress, I am convinced that going through the process of electing or re-electing those who will hold key leadership positions will be a healthy step for the House and for the nation," Cannon said in a statement.

The conference election is scheduled for Feb. 2, but more members need to call for the across-the-board election before it takes place.

"The time has come for those who wish to lead this Conference to rise to the challenge, unite the party and stand before the Conference to outline a clear agenda for returning to the values that we as Republicans hold dear," the letter says.

Cannon is the chairman of the 60-member Congressional Western Caucus, which will host a candidate forum before the election. Of Congress' 435 representatives, 231 are Republicans.

---

E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com