Cannon defended his conservative credentials. He has the highest rating among Utah members of Congress from the American Conservative Union and the highest rating in Utah from Americans for Tax Reform.

The biggest issue in the 3rd District remains immigration. Challengers old and new paint Cannon as soft on illegal immigration and in favor of amnesty, a charge Cannon vigorously denies.

"I have a 100 percent voting record in favor of enforcement," Cannon said.

He said he is heavily involved in the House committee considering immigration reform that will propose offering various kinds of legal status for illegal immigrants, some likely with and some without pathways to citizenship.

He is arguing against giving illegal immigrants who become citizens credit for what they paid into Social Security while they worked illegally in the United States.

Cannon welcomed the debate promised by a crowded race, but only if it doesn't involve what he considered untruths about his immigration stance.

"We haven't had much debate (in 3rd District races)," he said. "Instead, we've had a lot of exaggerations and distortions. In the last two (election) cycles, we've had a lot of statements that weren't true."

Leavitt returned to private practice after losing his 2002 re-election campaign for Juab County attorney by 22 votes. With his wife, he started the Leavitt Institute for International Development.

"Now that the Democrats have taken control of Congress, I believe we need a congressman that has a skill set that is able to work with a different political landscape than we've had the last 12 or 14 years," Leavitt said. "It's time for a re-evaluation of who we send to Congress."

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E-mail: twalch@desnews.com