Political rookie looks for upset

Just in time for the start of the NCAA basketball tournament, a political rookie has decided to attempt a political Cinderella run of his own.

Brian Jenkins, 45, has no campaign money and no political experience. Despite those facts, he has decided to tackle the ultimate challenge in this year's elections by attempting to unseat Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has 30 years of Washington, D.C., experience and a war chest of more than $2 million.

"It's the ultimate David-and-Goliath situation," Jenkins said Wednesday, the day after he filed for the U.S. Senate seat as a Republican.

What he lacks in cash and credentials, however, Jenkins makes up for with passion about the "triggers" for his campaign. Those include what he perceives as an erosion of the principles of the U.S. Constitution and the threat to the "American way of life" by agreements such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

"These agreements attempt to supersede the Constitution, and as a person who really respects the Constitution, it is disturbing," Jenkins said. "We have modified our laws to fit into these agreements, even though they are not in our best interests."

Running for Congress was something that Jenkins, who lives in Saratoga Springs with his wife and two children, has considered for a few months, although what he really wanted was to challenge Rep. Chris Cannon , R-Utah. The only problem was that, unlike much of Utah County, Saratoga Springs is actually part of Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson's district.

This week, with the filing deadline Friday and no Republican challenger to Hatch, Jenkins decided to take the leap. Hatch does have one Democrat challenger, Pete Ashdown, a Libertarian challenger in Dave Seely, and two members of the Personal Choice Party, Joseph Labonte and Roger Price.

Although he is optimistic, Jenkins does not overestimate his chances. Ideally, he wants to take Hatch out in the state convention by securing 60 percent of the delegate vote, and not have to try to win a primary.

In 2000, Hatch barely missed being forced into a primary.

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com