Bridgewater trying again for congressional seat

Tim Bridgewater made it official Tuesday: He's running again in the 2nd Congressional District, trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson.

Bridgewater, 43, who filed for office then gave a speech on the Capitol steps, came out ahead of the 2002 state Republican Party convention, topping a crowded field of 12 GOP hopefuls.

But he stumbled in the June primary against fellow Republican John Swallow, 51-49 percent.

Now it appears to be another Bridgewater/Swallow/Matheson match-up. David Wilde has also filed as a Republican and more Republicans may file for the 2nd District before Wednesday night's filing deadline.

Bridgewater made it clear who his opponent is this year: Matheson, not the other Republicans.

Matheson, "while a decent guy, is ineffective as a congressman," Bridgewater said in a Deseret Morning News interview. As a Democrat in a heavily-Republican district, Matheson risks alienating his "liberal financial support base" if he votes with the conservative majority in the U.S. House, Bridgewater said, and risks alienating 70 percent of his Utah constituents if he speaks up for traditional Democratic positions.

"So, basically, he can't do anything."

Bridgewater said he's running this year to represent basic, conservative Utah values and issues.

"I'm a small businessman. And the federal government has gotten out of control" in spending, he said. "We have to cut federal spending."

How?

"First off, we have to stop the automatic funding of many of these programs," Bridgewater said. Private business does not just ask each year "how much more will our budgets increase? We ask if programs should just be terminated. Congress must do that as well."

Bridgewater believes he'll go into the May 8 State Republican Convention ahead in the delegate count. And he'll take the unprecedented action of asking the convention to eliminate a primary election "and it's cost to Republicans." He plans to make a motion to suspend convention rules and take a final vote in the 2nd District race among the last two GOP candidates standing.

"One of us should win the nomination with a 50-percent-plus-one ballot," said Bridgewater, who admits his other GOP contenders may not agree.