Senate Democrats, who had a miserable record of seeing their bills passed into law, claimed a turnaround under the Dmitrich leadership.

Dmitrich told the minority caucus Wednesday that he has good working relationships with the newly elected GOP leadership. "I don't see a problem with any of them," he said.

In 2002, House Democrats opted for Goodfellow's more congenial leadership in the House.

But Goodfellow was at times criticized for not openly opposing the majority Republicans. In 2003 he admitted to the Deseret Morning News that he couldn't remember a single time over the previous general session where he'd risen to speak against a GOP-sponsored bill or budget item.

Becker said Wednesday that while Democrats and Republicans alike admire Goodfellow, "there was a missing component" to his leadership.

"No one doubted Brent's ability to make deals" with Republicans behind the scenes and keep good relations with them, said Becker. "But we still have to represent the (Democratic) caucus and make our views known" to the public.

Did House Democrats have more success with their own bills under a Goodfellow leadership? "I actually looked at the (success ratio) numbers," said Becker. "And there was no real difference" between 2002 and 2004.

House Democrats retained Minority Whip Brad King, D-Price, minority whip and elected Rep. Pat Jones, D-Cottonwood Heights, who was serving as minority caucus manager, to be the assistant minority whip. Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake, was chosen as the new minority caucus manager.

In the Senate, the minority caucus kept not only Dmitrich, but also Minority Whip Ron Allen, D-Tooele, and Assistant Minority Whip Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake.