Incumbent says race was about extremism

PROVO — Sweat ran down the face of Utah's 3rd District Rep. Chris Cannon Tuesday night as he watched election returns, but the perspiration was caused by a hot ballroom full of supporters, not the tight race for Cannon's political life many thought would materialize but didn't.

Cannon, R-Utah, celebrated his victory over challenger John Jacob with a cup of homemade chocolate ice cream whipped up in front of well-wishers gathered on the third floor of the Utah County Historic Courthouse.

Cannon won the GOP primary 56 percent to Jacob's 44 percent with 100 percent of the vote tallied.

Early returns left him combative about the perceived interference of outside immigration reform groups that backed Jacob, especially Team America, which spent more than $54,000 against him. Another group that took aim at Cannon was the Minuteman Political Action Committee, which came in with last-minute newspaper and radio ads and a phone message campaign attacking the congressman for being for amnesty and against tough borders.

"This race was about extremism," Cannon said. "Not by my opponent, but by those who supported him. And he's pictured me as something, and it's not what I am. We have looked at all my votes, and we haven't seen a vote you can fairly characterize as an amnesty."

While Cannon was taking off his coat to cool down as he spoke with newspaper reporters, then putting it back on for TV appearances, Jacob was sweating in the Rose Room at Thanksgiving Point while a crew producing a piece for CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" worked the room.

The crowd, slightly smaller than Cannon's, was very quiet during early returns, but the mood picked up about 9:15 p.m. when campaign workers showed a video of the campaign set to the Taylor Hicks song that includes the lyrics, "This is what we dreamed about."

At that point only 2 percent of precincts were reporting, although Jacob was taking each return hard as they all came in for Cannon.

He said he felt energized and looked forward to today. A lot of media appearances were set up — win or lose. He said all the attention had been a new world for him and that telephone calls and small donations from people around the country had been "a really precious moment."

Jacob said he was most proud, however, that his campaign had not been negative, although some reacted negatively to ads by Team America and the Minuteman PAC. Jacob did not review or pay for those ads, which would be illegal.

"That should be obvious, since they misspelled my name," he said.