3 rivals pledge to limit terms

No matter who wins the Utah governor's race this year, don't expect him to spend 12 years in office.

Republicans Nolan Karras and Jon Huntsman Jr., who face off in a primary in two weeks, and Democrat Scott Matheson Jr. all say they will serve only two four-year terms — if they are elected.

No third terms for these candidates, they say.

Utah has had two three-term governors: Former GOP Gov. Mike Leavitt was elected three times but served only 11 years, resigning last year. Democratic Gov. Calvin Rampton served all 12 years of his terms, 1965-1977.

Said Huntsman, "Utah needs fresh faces and new ideas in government to continue to grow and progress. In the best interest of Utah, each governor should serve a maximum of two four-year terms. I will limit myself to eight years, assuming Utahns will have me, and propose that we legislate term limits for the governor."

Utah did have a legislative and governor 12-year term limit law, but legislators repealed it a year ago, well before it would have taken effect in 2006.

Karras said, "I will serve two terms. I believe a governor should get in and serve, and then get out. I will work hard for Utah and hope to accomplish what I set out to do in eight years."

Matheson said he, too, would limit himself to just two terms.

"I won't comment on (the appropriateness of the three terms for) Leavitt and Rampton," Matheson said. "For me, I think you have to pace yourself just to get through eight years, and not stay too long."

Matheson's father, Democratic Gov. Scott M. Matheson , served from 1977 to 1985. The senior Matheson suffered a severe heart attack toward the end of his second term. But Matheson says health was not the reason his father left after one election and one re-election.

"He was healthy when he left. No, I believe as he did, this is a stressful job; you should get in, give it all you have and then move on," said Matheson.

The former governor died in 1990 of a rare cancer, but he was not diagnosed with the disease until after he'd been out of office for several years.

A number of Utahns, including members of his own Republican Party, thought Leavitt did stay too long.

Leavitt won a squeaker of a race in 1992 in a three-way competition. He received only 42 percent of the vote. He made it a goal to win a big re-election in 1996, and he set a record with more than 74 percent of the vote.

But things turned a bit sour by 2000.