Will 'brother act' hurt the Mathesons?

Webb: One of the interesting and unique features of this year's election is that two Mathesons will appear on the November ballot in major races.

I can't recall any time in Utah history when two brothers were running for top offices in the same election year. It raises a lot of fascinating questions for political junkies to contemplate over lunch at the Soup Kitchen.

How will the brother act perform? Will one drag down the other? Will they bolster each other? Will voters worry about creating a Matheson political dynasty? Will Republican Bush voters cross over not just once, but twice, to vote for them?

So far, in this low-profile phase of the campaign, the brother act clearly has not been an issue. Scott Matheson Jr., running for governor, and Jim Matheson, seeking re-election to Congress, are running completely separate campaigns with different messaging and strategies. They don't seem to be sharing resources or staff or coordinating activities.

The sibling issue may become more visible when they are both up heavy on television and radio. But I don't believe the "political dynasty" matter will ever become a real concern. While each brother benefits from the name ID and popularity of their late father, Scott Matheson Sr., who served as governor for eight years, neither is overly exploiting the family ties. Their mother, Norma, has remained in the background for the most part.

What's more, both the Bush family at the national level and the Huntsman family in Utah provide a lot of cover on the dynasty issue. Jon Huntsman Jr. is Scott Matheson's opponent in the governor's race, and it doesn't make sense for either candidate to focus a lot of attention on family matters. Huntsman probably has more to lose in that regard than does Matheson.

While it's too early to know how the brother act will play out, one important factor will be the crossover vote. To win, both Scott and Jim must get a chunk of Bush voters to cross over. Some analysts speculate that while many Utah Republicans may be willing to cross over once, twice might be pushing it.

The two races are very different. Conventional wisdom would indicate that a Matheson could more easily win the governorship than a seat in Congress. Utah voters want a governor who projects strength, stability and capability and the party label isn't all that important. It is more problematic for Utah voters to send a Democrat back to Washington to operate under the influence of national Democratic leaders.

But the conventional wisdom doesn't necessarily work here. Scott is not as well known and has the tougher opponent in Huntsman. Jim has a couple of terms under his belt, has worked very hard to develop relationships in his new district, and is a proven campaigner and grassroots organizer.