Ridgway, who last year was booted out of his party post by leaders, and a group of Republicans have been battling state and county GOP leaders for years over a number of issues, including the use of so-called "automatic" delegates (usually GOP officeholders) in grassroots selection of Republican candidates.

Ridgway says GOP leaders don't have to worry about him slandering individuals or becoming disruptive in his convention speech.

"I will speak the truth" about perceived problems with Hatch's tenure in the Senate and the "corruptions of the Utah Republican Party," said Ridgway.

He said he took the fee waiver because his finances "have suffered in recent years" in part because of his ongoing battles with party bosses, said Ridgway.

Maybe he and the other two GOP challengers won't be able to get 40 percent of the delegate vote — and thus get into a primary with Hatch, he said. But it won't be from a lack of effort.

Hatch "has a lot to explain for in years" of non-conservative votes, said Ridgway. "Voters have not been well served by him. I ran in part to shame other Republicans," perhaps who are better known or better able to raise funds, "who should have gotten into this race."

Democratic leaders, also, have dealt with unknown, and perhaps unwanted, candidates in their party process.

In 2002, the state Democratic central committee actually took a vote to see if Cody Judy, who served eight years in prison for holding an LDS Church leader forcibly at bay at a BYU devotional, could be on their convention ballot. The vote allowed Judy a convention slot. He gave his convention speech and was dispatched to the candidate bone-yard by the delegates' votes.

---

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com