Matheson spokeswoman Alyson Heyrend says KSL Radio talk show host Doug Wright has reportedly recently visited Washington, D.C., to explore a GOP bid. Wright couldn't be reached for comment.

And Utah House Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, has told the newspaper he is seriously pondering a run.

Spencer Jenkins, executive director of the Utah Republican Party, said of Matheson's high approval ratings: "When you are a congressman in the minority party and not engaged in the key issues, your favorableness will be higher.

"Next March or April, you will not see his approval ratings nearly as high. President Bush has had his troubles, and there is some trickle-down effect" on Utah's GOP delegation's poll numbers, Jenkins said.

Hatch is up for re-election to a sixth term in 2006. His job approval ratings may be down 5 percentage points since June not only because of Bush's problems. He was challenged this summer by state Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George. Urquhart just got out of the race last week, but his criticisms of Hatch could have harmed Hatch's job approval as well.

Finally, not only do most Utahns — 61 percent — still approve of the job the president is doing, 57 percent also approve of the way he is handling the war in Iraq. Across the nation, most Americans disapprove of his administration's actions in Iraq, national polls show.

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Contributing: Zack Van Eyck

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com