Despite their successes, Democrats are desperately behind in Senate Distict 1, which covers northwestern Salt Lake County and was long controlled by Democrats until 2002. There, Sen. James Evans, R-Salt Lake, has raised $28,296, almost five times as much as challenger Fred Fife's $6,302. Another west-side Republican candidate, Michael Montgomery, also has been successful, raising $3,420 to Salt Lake Democrat Duane Bourdeaux's $1,750.

The most expensive combined race is in southeastern Utah, where Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mike Dmitrich has raised $32,350, and his opponent, Republican Phillip Peay, has raised $17,108, almost pushing the race for District 29 above the $50,000 mark in spending. But for the most part, legislative candidates have raised less than they did two years ago, primarily because of competition from higher-profile races. It also looks like no race will come close to the 2002 Senate race between Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Murray, and then-Senate Majority Leader Steve Poulton, in which each candidate spent more than $100,000.

The most plush campaigner is House Majority Leader Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, who totaled $57,651 — although it is also the first report he has filed in two years and much of the money was raised in 2003 — making the normally respectable $9,994 raised by Democratic challenger Jay Seegmiller look minuscule.

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com