Unlike Dunn, Holland said he will not take a party salary if elected chairman. Dunn was successful at fund raising and paid himself a $75,000 a year salary in a post that historically has been unpaid.

Holland said he will be taking a paid leave from his United Steelworkers of America job for the two-year chairman's term, so he will still be drawing his union wage.

Holland said he's used to working hard at organizing, fund raising and strategic planning for his union work and will bring those skills to the state party.

2006 is what is known as an off-year election — no U.S. presidential contest.

The Kerry/George Bush race of last year sucked hundreds of millions of dollars out of other political contests.

"Democrats usually do better in off-year elections" in Utah, said Holland.

In 1986, for example, Utah Democrats gained 13 Utah House seats, shocking Republicans and becoming, for a time, a player in state politics.

But the heavily red Utah shifted back to more normal voting patterns. Democrats have lost so many seats since that two years ago Senate Democrats had so few numbers they couldn't have a member at each of the Legislature's joint budget subcommittees, which all meet at the same time.

"Utahns deserve a choice," said Holland. And in the 2005 municipal races and 2006 congressional, legislative and county races, Democrats will target contests they believe they can win.

The demographics in the West may be changing. But Utah remains one of the most Republican states in the nation.

And heading the Utah Democratic Party remains a thankless job.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com