PROVO — Incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon faced off with 3rd District challengers John Jacob and Merrill Cook over the weekend as the three Republicans each sought to sway Utah County delegates into his own camp for Saturday's showdown at the state Republican convention.

Delegates were treated to a heated debate on illegal immigration, free trade and states' rights. They and the other delegates from throughout the 3rd District will attempt to select the Republican nominee for the 2006 election. If one of the three garners 60 percent of the delegate vote, he will move to the November ballot. If no one meets the 60 percent threshold, the top two will meet in the June 27 primary.

Cook, who held the 2nd Congressional District seat from 1996-2000, declared in his opening statement that he had no malice in deciding to run against Cannon.

"I have respect on a personal basis for my colleagues, and I call them colleagues because there's absolutely nothing personal in my decision to enter this race," Cook said. "We agree philosophically on (some) issues, but we have strong disagreements in other areas."

One of those areas, which sparked some heat from all three candidates, is illegal immigration. All of the candidates agreed a negative situation has developed that needs to be dealt with, but how to approach the problem was a point of dispute.

Jacob suggested taking away the "incentives" for illegal immigrants, to encourage more legal immigration. At the same time, Jacob touted stricter enforcement of existing laws.

Cannon referred to legislation he is currently involved with that would strengthen U.S. border security, as well as measures to help "innocent children who were dragged here by their parents" to obtain an education while in the United States.

Cook stressed forcing employers to adhere to existing immigration laws, instead of looking the other way. Cook said if employers do that, the number of illegal immigrants coming to America will decrease.

On free trade, Cook and Cannon debated whether Congress has given away the power to set tariffs, or if the United States has become a sovereign nation to the World Trade Organization.

Jacob stressed the need for fewer government rules and restrictions, saying the American people should have the power to purchase where and what they want.

"Right now you have the opportunity to go out and vote with your feet and buy more from us or buy more from China," Jacob said. "Do you want me to go back (to Congress) and make more government rules or make less government rules? To go back there and make it so I rule and you must buy more expensive stuff is wrong."

The three candidates seemed to agree states' rights should trump the need to accumulate power on a federal level in criticizing the national No Child Left Behind policy.

---

E-mail: achoate@desnews.com