The leaders in both bodies then appoint other GOP caucus members to be the budget chairman and standing committee and budget subcommittee chairs and vice chairs. While they often deny it, past speakers and presidents have at times played hardball politics — holding bills, funding pet projects and punishing both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who stood against them.

Internal, and often secret, politics rule leadership races, which can at times be bitter contests.

For example, Ure lost to Stephens two years ago in a tough race where both candidates tied in the first round and Stephens won the second round by one vote.

Instead of sitting in the chamber according to his seniority, Ure decided to sit on the Democratic side next to the freshman GOP representatives. He seemed to relish his "outsider" status, taking the chairmanship of the Natural Resources budget committee, a minor post for a 12-year veteran. "I sat by the freshmen because in the speaker's race I'd promised to help them learn the process. I did enjoy being an outsider" the past two years, he added.

Curtis, meanwhile, was often seen as a Stephens ally and confidant, working his way up leadership ranks to be majority leader the past two years.

Indeed, the speaker's race is debated in those terms. "Forty-five of the 56 (people voting on speaker) have served with Dave and I at least two years," says Curtis. And they realize that Ure was a leadership whip for four of Stephens' six years as speaker, Curtis said, noting the "outsider" moniker won't work.

And Ure had plenty of disagreements with Stephens but dealt with them privately, said Curtis. "I don't get in fights with caucus members, it's not my style."

Ure says it was good that he was outside of leadership the past two years. "I've seen and felt the same frustrations as other" rank-and-file legislators, he said. "It's true that most (GOP House members) served with me. I'm a straight talker; they know that."

Curtis said he doesn't believe his problems in Salt Lake County are part of the speaker's race, although some of his detractors are trying to make them so. Curtis resigned in the late spring as embattled county Mayor Nancy Workman's legal adviser after he paid back state mileage he received when driving his county car to the 2004 45-day general session. He said the double-dipping in gasoline reimbursement was an oversight, and he was not charged with any wrongdoing.

It's become tradition for those seeking top party posts to raise a lot of campaign cash and then donate to fellow caucus members' races. Reports filed with the State Elections Office show that Ure gave $4,550 this year to GOP House candidates, many of them incumbents, and $4,850 to House candidates in 2002.