Harmsen said he would be a tough leader who "would pound round pegs through square holes over there" at party headquarters — "which it appears is what we need."

"If you are looking for a candidate who won't lead, if you are looking for someone who will only make consensus decisions, then I'm telling (state GOP) delegates don't vote for me," said Harmsen. The party is in trouble and he plans on fixing it, he said.

Last week, Greene stirred up a hornet's nest when she suddenly fired party executive director Jeff Hartley, saying he was a poor financial manager. Hartley struck back, saying Greene was a vindictive, mean person — and that there had been an agreement with top party officeholders that she would keep him on until a new chairman was elected at the June convention.

Harmsen said he had made no decision on Hartley — whether to bring him back or not. But he thanked Greene from "sweeping the decks" so a new chairman can start anew.

"One of the problems of the party is that we don't develop a professional staff — it is a revolving door over there" with staffers leaving every year or so to take better jobs, he said.

"I want to develop a professional staff, a long-term staff," said Harmsen.

Lockhart says his experience as Utah County GOP chairman and a current member of the state GOPs central committee is critical to taking over the party chairmanship.

"In the big picture, the chairman has to work to get Republicans elected next year and to explain to the public what it means to be a Republican in Utah," said Lockhart.

As a central committee member, Lockhart said he had a "pretty good" feel for what is happening in the party now. And he said Harmsen's opinion of all the "doom and gloom" at party headquarters is not accurate.

Like Harmsen, Lockhart said he doesn't know if Hartley should be rehired as executive director. But Lockhart is dedicated to hiring the best people to staff party headquarters.

"We are going to focus on November 2008, and work for a Republican victory," said Lockhart.

Should Lockhart win the chairmanship, it would not be the first time an active lobbyist has served in the top post for either major political party.

Current Salt Lake County Councilman Randy Horiuchi served as Democratic Party chairman in the 1980s while a lobbyist.

Current U.S. House Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, was a lobbyist while GOP chairman, often seen on the Hill lobbying for gun rights advocates. And former GOP party chairs Frank Suitter and Joe Cannon (now Deseret Morning News editor) both were state registered lobbyists during part of their chairmanship tenures — although neither man was often seen on Utah's Capitol Hill.

"We have a tradition in this party" of chairmen being registered lobbyists, said Lockhart. And that is a good thing, he added, because respected lobbyists have the "unique ability to blend (together) party officeholders (like legislators), donors and the party's grassroots." Forming strong coalitions is what party-building is all about, he said.

However, Lockhart said lobbying/entertaining legislators has really been a small part of his overall job of bringing well-paid, high-tech jobs to "more than 1,300 Utahns."

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com