Jacob said Lifferth doesn't understand the city's purchase of its own utilities created debt but also income that was the reason this city survived, and he said Lifferth is biased because his cousin is married to Chris Cannon's niece.

The immigration issue

Jacob certainly has attacked Cannon on immigration. Cannon told the Deseret Morning News he can lose only if Jacob can beat him on immigration. Jacob assiduously avoids the appearance of a one-issue candidate, but he and Cannon are very similar on most other issues.

On immigration, Cannon said, Jacob is pandering to a portion of the public that doesn't understand the complexity of the issue and is scared by national groups that create fear by talking of an invasion that is costing Americans jobs.

Utah's economy is booming, and unemployment is below 4 percent, but schools in the 3rd District are struggling with the number of children who speak only Spanish, and Utahns are looking for answers. Both candidates hope they have the answers.

Jacob said a perfect storm is brewing that could launch him into Congress.

Part of that storm is the discontent with Cannon that has been evident among a group of 3rd District Republicans throughout the decade he has been in office. Cannon's net worth also has dropped while he's been in Congress, and people around the country have hammered him on illegal immigration.

Then Jacob stunned the state GOP convention by coming out ahead of Cannon. On the second ballot, after eliminating Merrill Cook, a former congressman, Jacob stunned everyone by winning 52 percent of the vote to Cannon's 48.

"The rest of the perfect storm," he added, "is the two protests by illegal immigrants," echoes of fear from the Sept. 11 attacks and the war in Iraq, the general negativity Americans feel toward Congress, the nation's alarming deficit spending.

Jacob created a Letter of Intent, a contract with Utah voters, and listed immigration first, saying he would introduce and promote legislation to control the borders by increasing funding for enforcement, technology, equipment and personnel, and for housing and processing illegal immigrants for return to their native countries.

Cannon has released radio spots touting his record voting for secure borders, more troops on the borders and his calls for more funding and technology. National, conservative, anti-immigration and restrictionist groups have given Cannon poor grades for his immigration votes, which Cannon said reflects a lack of understanding. Team America, a conservative PAC that has made stopping any guest-worker program a priority, has paid for radio ads in Utah to try to topple Cannon's campaign.