From Deseret News archives:

Cannon squeaks into GOP primary

Published: Saturday, May 10, 2008 6:11 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
As expected, GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. won re-nomination. Unopposed were Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Auditor Austin Johnson. In the open state treasurer's seat, former legislator Mark Walker will battle Richard Ellis in a primary election.

Cannon's poor showing in the state convention is becoming a biennial event for the six-term congressman. This will be his fifth GOP primary in seven elections. He first took office in 1996 in what is considered one of the most conservative congressional districts in the United States.

Like Saturday, Cannon finished second in the 2006 convention as well, but went on to an easy primary victory over fellow Republican John Jacobs.

Chaffetz gave an emotional convention speech that brought a number of the 3rd District delegates to their feet cheering. He broke from Huntsman (Chaffetz was Huntsman's 2004 campaign manager and chief of staff during his first year in office) when he shouted that Huntsman was wrong about global warming — saying that global warming "is a farce."

He said both Cannon and Leavitt were running campaigns in debt, and that he wouldn't do that. Saying he was outspent by both men, he would appeal to the better natures of delegates and always stand up for their conservative values.

Story continues below
He said illegal immigration must stop, and that English must become the official language of the country. He said he is a convert to the LDS religion and a convert to the Republican Party, and that he comes to politics with a zeal that some incumbent Republicans have forgotten about.

Chaffetz planned all along to eliminate Cannon in the convention by getting 60 percent of the vote.

In the 2nd Congressional District race, Dew has both the cash and thousands of personal and business contacts from his 30 years as a contractor "that I can use to get additional funds and get an army to defeat Jim Matheson."

He said he will fund a high-profile mass media campaign this summer "to make the name Bill Dew a household name."

U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, caused quite a stir when he said all Utahns need to get behind GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

The comment was met with scattered boos from the audience, with a mixture of applause. Hatch said if Republicans don't get with McCain, then Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will win — "and that will be an absolute catastrophe" for America.

After a McCain video ran, a number of delegates shouted for a Ron Paul video, but there was no such video. And most of the slate of 33 McCain national delegates won, even though there was an alternative slate of delegates, many of whom would have voted for Paul on the first ballot at the national convention.


E-mail: lisa@desnews.com

Recent comments

It is easy to "prove" anything if you use sound bites, single...

Janice | May 20, 2008 at 10:35 a.m.

Orange Support, the first part of this comment goes to you. I...

Great Scott! | May 20, 2008 at 10:09 a.m.

I am just bewildered by the ridiculous nature of the people who find...

Orange Support | May 12, 2008 at 9:33 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

USU home-court streak ends

We'll be watching the AGGIES in the NIT. At least BYU will BE in the NCAA....

USU home-court streak ends

You're right, the REFs don't care...they laugh when they leave the...

Las Vegas- Wyoming v USC Poinsettia- Air Force v Cal Armed Forces- Utah v....

Just another mental lapse. This is the NBA, this isn't a regular high school...

T-Buck, ESPN's box has CJ Miles shooting 3-for-10. Not a great deal of...

Tiger Woods used the media build up and sponsorship $$$ to attract...

Hey fellow Aggies, quit whining. We lost to the better team tonight. BYU...

I am glad the Cougars won this one too. What was the score with AZ...

More Maynor, 10 min. of Fes, we get the win. Since Jerry's extension, Fes...

Ivan--thank you buddy. It's always good to get the input of a BYU fine...

Advertisements