House Speaker Stephens packs up with a smile

After 16 years in the Utah House, six as speaker, Marty Stephens cleaned out his office Tuesday. One of the most powerful politicians in Utah leaves state government next week as his term ends and members of the 2005 Legislature take office.

"The great thing about this government is that people come and serve and then they leave," said Stephens, 50. He saw his political career end last spring when, running for governor, he failed to make it out of the state GOP convention.

Stephens, R-Farr West, said he is not bitter or disappointed. An optimist, he's looking forward to his new job at Merit Medical, where he was recently promoted by fellow GOP gubernatorial losing candidate Fred Lampropoulos, who runs Merit, to vice president of sales. Down the road will be missions with his wife for the LDS Church, said Stephens.

"I see serving somewhere again, but not necessarily in politics," said Stephens.

He won't be back on Capitol Hill as a lobbyist, he promises.

"Every (former) speaker since 1990, except Nolan Karras (also a GOP gubernatorial candidate this year), has been a lobbyist. I won't be, not even for Merit," said Stephens.

The always well-groomed Stephens — a former Democratic colleague, upon leaving the House himself, once mussed up Stephens' hair just to see if it could be done — was out of his normal suit and tie Tuesday, wearing a sweater and slacks as he packed away personal and political effects in his office.

The memorabilia include six sets of gavels and various awards given to him over the years. They reflect some of the high points of his career: majority leader; elected speaker three times (a record); president of the National Conference of State Legislatures; Roy B. Gibson Freedom of Information Award; twice listed as Taxpayer Advocate of the Year by the Utah Taxpayers Association; and on and on.

While Stephens, who entered the House in 1989 at age 34, has a number of accomplishments, like many part-time legislators he didn't get the golden ring many yearn for: the governorship.

Stephens was seen as a leading candidate two years ago when he started an aggressive fund-raising operation aimed at the 2004 governor's race. A number of GOP conservatives were tired of then-GOP Gov. Mike Leavitt's "govern from the middle" politics, and Stephens was considered a frontrunner.

Stephens even explored running against Leavitt in 2000, conducting a poll of GOP state delegates to measure support for him against Leavitt. But in the end he didn't challenge Leavitt, who went on to win a third four-year term.