"Beau Babka has said he understands, and he's not pressured us for debates," Cannon said. "We'll do debates later this month, but you can be obnoxious about that, demanding debates when I'm in session or . . . ," he paused, tellingly, "things. I've found my opponent is a very nice, thoughtful, kind person."

Controversy, ambition

As it has turned out this time, Cannon has had nothing to lose by keeping a low profile this election as he enjoys a 28-point lead over Babka, according to the latest Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll.

The campaign, including his defeat of challenger Matt Throckmorton in the Republican primary, has not been without glitches or controversy.

National border-control groups have attacked Cannon repeatedly for sponsoring legislation that would allow illegal immigrants working in the U.S. agricultural industry to earn legal status. He has been painted by some of these groups as a RINO — Republican in name only — for his stance, but he said it grew out of compassion for Latin American people he served as a missionary in Guatemala for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

His wife Claudia also spent time in Mexico, where her father had a business.

The immigration reform battle, which includes attacks on Cannon by CNN's Lou Dobbs and support for him by the Wall Street Journal, peaked when Cannon and an aide were guests on a Salt Lake City radio program.

Critics later produced a partial tape of the show that indicated the aide called for undocumented immigrants to register to vote, which is illegal. Cannon said he clarified the statement during what he said were key parts of the show but that weren't taped.

A lawsuit filed in 2002, timed to damage Cannon's successful election bid that fall, resurfaced again a couple of weeks ago as Cannon agreed to mediation.

Two former employees of CFour and ICS sued Cannon for more than $100,000 in allegedly unpaid wages. Cannon did provide $1 million in seed money to the defunct companies but maintains he never was more than an investor or client.

"We allege those companies are alter egos of Chris Cannon," attorney Mark McCarty told the Deseret Morning News before the decision to accept mediation. "We'll show he really was CFour and really was ICS and he owes these guys the money."

The controversies, Cannon said, are the price of running campaigns and doing business as a millionaire congressman and businessman.

"The only way you don't have opposition is if you're not doing anything," he said. "We're doing a lot of stuff. I'm not unhappy at all with the way the campaign has gone on. It's been very grass roots."