Hatch challengers to gain spotlight, then likely oblivion

Feel cheated that you haven't yet had your 15 minutes of fame in life?

Then run for high federal office, say as a Republican for the U.S. Senate.

That's what state GOP leaders suspect could be the motivation behind some candidates filing for U.S. Senate this year and getting an opportunity to speak to thousands of delegates, guests and the media covering the state convention.

"To be honest, we've thought about it," said newly appointed GOP Utah executive director Jeff Hartley. "They can do anything up there on stage at the convention. It raises questions of decorum, even questions of security."

But as of now, Republican leaders will not try to "decertify" any candidates — an internal party process whereby a candidate can be removed from the convention ballot and not be allowed to speak.

"Yes, we're going to give them their soap box. And a few of us are uncomfortable with that," Hartley said.

While pop artist Andy Warhol talked about 15 minutes of fame, at the May 13 GOP convention candidates get only around eight minutes, Hartley said.

Democrats also hold their state convention on May 13, but only one Democrat, Pete Ashdown, is running for the Senate.

It's easy and cheap to run for a top office in any party in Utah. Simply sign a form at the state Elections Office that says you can't afford to pay the filing fee (for the U.S. Senate, it is a meaty $1,239). No personal financial questions are asked as the fee is waived automatically by law.

At the March 17 filing deadline, five-term U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, the GOP incumbent, was being challenged by four GOP unknowns — three of whom got their twelve-hundred-dollar filing fees waived. Lawrence Rey Topham, an income-tax protester and a perpetual candidate who believes he is Utah's legal governor, was removed from the U.S. Senate GOP ballot because he filed for multiple offices this year.

It is questionable if any of the remaining three Republicans can get 40 percent of the state delegate vote to get into a primary election with the very well known — and campaign-rich — Hatch.

If none can get the 40 percent of delegate votes, the May 13 GOP convention will be the end of those challengers' campaign day in the sun.

But at least they will be able to give a convention speech. (Counting time getting to the stage and a bit for speech overruns, delegates will listen to about a half-hour of talks by Hatch's three challengers.)

One of the GOP Senate challengers is longtime Republican Party dissident Mike Ridgway, who took a fee waiver.