Utah Demo began political life early

"We hold our religious beliefs much more internally in Utah," said Holland, who is a practicing Mormon. Despite that, "it's interesting that the Republican leadership seems more concerned about staying true to the right-wing ideals than to Utah values."

To improve Democratic positions in the state — and admittedly, they can't get much worse — Holland wants to focus on building candidates from local governments. Instead of finding immediately high-profile names, he would prefer to find people who have built a reputation as fair and honest and who will receive support from their constituents not because of party affiliation but because of respect.

"The candidates we find strongest are those who are very involved in their community and who people trust regardless of their label," he said. "We need candidates who are well-liked and trusted."

He admits it will not be easy to gain many seats in the Legislature next year, primarily because of the redistricting that "carved some counties to pieces" and cemented the seats of Republicans until the next decade. Still, Holland plans to work with candidates to spread the word about the party as much as possible, especially where constituents have grown tired of "Republican hot air" and "power-obsessed" politicians.

"You know what you believe in your heart, and then you find that many people are talking about the same issue, only in different words," he said. "We are just going to focus on what is important to us, and on getting those messages to resonate."

If there is a person who can earn the trust of the populace, it is Holland, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, said. After all, even those who may be on the other side of an issue seem to like and, more important, trust him.

"He's a very solid guy. Anybody who talks to him knows he's a straight-shooter," Matheson said. "He can reach across to all of the constituents of the party."

As for the prospects of the party, House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, is "hopeful" that Holland can turn things around, even if it's still early in his chairmanship.

"He's clearly an everyone guy, articulate and has a lot of savvy," Becker said.

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com