Rumors already swirling about 2006 races in Utah

The dog days of August are upon us, with seemingly little happening on the political front. Legislators are traveling in and out of the state for various meetings and the governor is vacationing with his family before the school year begins. Congress is in recess and some members of the delegation are also vacationing.

However, despite the lack of official political action, plenty is happening behind the scenes, and the rumor mill churns continuously as posturing begins for 2006. Here is some of the scuttlebutt from insiders who have nothing better to do than gossip (we have omitted the truly libelous and slanderous):

• Jason Chaffetz, chief of staff to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., is seriously considering seeking the GOP nomination in the 2nd Congressional District against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson. The Republicans have been looking far and wide for a candidate, and those close to Chaffetz suggest he could be a viable contender with obvious support from the governor and other GOP leaders. Other names floated, some more seriously than others, are Rep. LaVar Christensen, auto dealer Brent Brown, KSL Radio talk show host Doug Wright and Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard.

So far, Chaffetz's career as the governor's go-to guy has been interesting. He is fearless in tackling tough issues and personnel matters but has made some rookie PR mistakes, and the usual complaints have been heard about gubernatorial access. But you can't argue with success, as the governor's poll numbers are fantastic and the senior staff seems to be hitting its stride and avoiding blunders.

• Considerable talk exists that Democratic Sen. Karen Hale may retire after eight years of public service. However, she recently made a request for contributions to help fund the printing and mailing of a newsletter for her constituents (no state funding exists for such communications), which signals she is still undecided. Well-liked on both sides of the aisle, Hale has brought fresh perspectives on education issues to the Legislature. She could win re-election in 2006 rather handily, and if she retires a huge scramble will occur in Democratic and Republican circles to replace her.

• Down in Utah County, Rep. Margaret Dayton seems to be collecting support for a challenge to Sen. Parley Hellewell. Both Dayton and Hellewell are plenty conservative. Dayton has taken on the federal government's "No Child Left Behind" legislation with a lot of publicity and even some national notoriety. Hellewell is the darling of various ultraconservative causes, making this intraparty struggle fascinating to watch.