Did primary results repudiate Leavitt?

Pignanelli: We know the winners from last week's primary.

But a careful look at the results reveals the big losers were former Gov. Michael Leavitt and the right wing of the Republican Party.

Commencing with the May convention and ending Tuesday, any candidate remotely associated with the status quo and previous administration was thumped hard. Nolan Karras was a credible candidate possessing tremendous experience unequaled by his colleagues, but an attachment to the "establishment" is a detriment in 2004.

Even Utah Republicans have a gut full of a sclerotic state government that has been dormant as the rest of the nation has passed us by. There have been no successful initiatives on education, transportation, the environment etc. for many years. The promise of the Olympics has dissipated. In contrast to an active first-term, Leavitt's gubernatorial duties were more of a nuisance as he was distracted by national activities. Jon Huntsman Jr. shrewdly realized this dynamic, and attacked current policies on ethics, economic development etc. Notwithstanding the thinking by some, Olene Walker was not dismissed at the convention for ideological reasons, but rather because even conservative delegates desperately want change. The lopsided results last Tuesday were not anti-Karras or entirely pro-Huntsman. Republican voters know the state is in trouble, and they want a clear departure from the Leavitt-Walker style of governance.

In many (but not all) of the races last week, the candidate perceived as ultraconservative" faced more difficulties. My good friend Rep. Mike Thompson (another example of strange bedfellows in politics) was perceived as a tool of the Eagle Forum and lost his re-election bid to Lorie Fowlke. Thompson represented Orem, and even this bastion of conservative thinking found appealing Fowlke's brand of moderate Republicanism. Confronting charges of being "too liberal," Rep. Dave Hogue narrowly won his re-election by articulating temperance in his deliberations.

The primaries are a roadmap for Democratic nominee Scott Matheson Jr., who has a very good chance, as recent polling indicates the contest for the governor's mansion will be close. Many of Leavitt's visionary ideas never made it off the ground because he surrendered to extremists. By articulating a strong independence and a centrist philosophy, Matheson can satisfy the hunger GOP voters have for robust leadership. Because Matheson does not need the affection of the ultraconservatives to govern, he can posture his candidacy as the best vehicle for change. The Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, Senator Karen Hale, will be unstoppable in her appeal to Utah families concerned about the fate of public education.