If Morgan wins, there will likely be four female Democratic senators: Eddie Mayne routinely coasted to victory in his West Valley district, so Karen Mayne's victory is likely; and Robles' west-side Salt Lake City district is usually safe Democratic. Four female Democratic senators is the most any can remember.

And assuming that Morgan's win is the only party change coming out of the 2008 elections, the four Democratic women would need only one vote from their male party colleagues to have control of what would be a nine-member minority in the Senate.

Should Morgan lose, female Democratic senators would need two male votes to take over the leadership races.

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, an openly gay legislator, and Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, an Hispanic, are more liberal in their views than their old boy Democratic colleagues.

McCoy said: "I have great confidence in each and every one of the women in our minority caucus. And I have great respect for the two that might join us. I'd certainly entertain the idea of a female minority leader."

But McCoy said he, too, will run for some leadership post — maybe even the top post of minority leader. "And wouldn't that be groundbreaking," he said — Utah having an openly gay Democratic legislative leader.

"There is going to be change" in leadership "and it should be a spirited contest," McCoy said.

McCoy added that in Saturday's Democratic Salt Lake County convention Cora JcKowski was picked as the nominee to challenge Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville. JcKowski lost to Waddoups four years ago, 40-57 percent. "But should lightning strike and there is a (political) realignment this year" in legislative races, said McCoy, "We could have five women Democratic senators, and wouldn't that be something."

Neither the Senate nor the House have ever had a female Senate president or House speaker, staffers say. There have been women representatives leading their House party caucuses as majority or minority leaders. The last was former House Majority Leader Chris Fox, R-Lehi, in the mid-1990s.

Utah has had one female governor, Olene Walker who served out the term of former Gov. Mike Leavitt, who resigned and joined the Bush administration in November 2003. And the state has had one female attorney general, Jan Graham, who served two terms in the 1990s. There has never been a female U.S. senator from Utah, but there have been several U.S. House members.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com