3 representatives fall; Blackham survives

On a primary night with six incumbent legislators facing intraparty challenges, three House members fell while a high-ranking senator barely survived.

Current Senate Budget Chairman Leonard Blackham, R-Moroni, had a less than 1 percent lead over challenger Darin Peterson, a two-term state representative from Nephi, with all but one of the 89 precincts in the six county Senate District 24 reporting. As of press time, the senator led by 49 votes, a number he thought "ought to hold" although he was not proclaiming victory until all of the precincts had been counted.

Blackham has touted his experience, his seniority and the amount of state monies he brought to rural Utah during his three terms. He suspected that voters recognized the value of having a high-ranking senator from rural Utah, and the value he brought them.

"I think they looked at my record and decided we tried to do a good job for them," Blackham said. "I'm not surprised it was that close. When you've served as long as I have, and have been as active, there will be people who don't like what you do."

Peterson has been highly critical of tax increases supported by Blackham, pointing out the senator's support for taxes on cable and an inflationary increase of property taxes. He did not return phone calls Tuesday night.

Davis and Salt Lake County voters have seen two House races — seats currently held by Rep. Dana Love, R-Syracuse, and Rep. David Hogue, R-Riverton — become the center of special interest battles, an involvement that has also turned the tone of the final days of campaigning negative. In both races, there are no Democratic challengers.

Love and challenger Paul Ray, who served as a representative from 2000 to 2002, were the center of major pushes by banks and credit unions. Throughout the weekend, potential voters received mailings criticizing Love's support of banks or Ray's support of credit unions in the ongoing fight between the two groups. But at the end of the night, voters supported Ray, giving him a 10 percentage-point victory. The only remaining challenger is Constitution Party candidate Kevin Oliver.

Hogue, who has consistently opposed tuition tax credits, was the focus of a letter from state senators similar to a pre-convention letter that criticized his "liberal" voting record. He also was the target of mailers from the Parents for Choice in Education political action committee, which described him as "too liberal for too long." The message did not ring with voters in southwest Salt Lake County, as Hogue soundly defeated George Holling with 58 percent of the tally and will now face two candidates in the general election, Arden White of the Constitution Party and Libertarian Matthew Lund.