Wallace, for example, received $500 from Parents for Choice. Bird didn't get any teachers union money. Arnold says the UEA otherwise supported him — Bird's wife is a schoolteacher — by getting area union members "educated and activated" before the primary.

By Bird eliminating Wallace, both the banks and public education supporters likely pick up a vote, should Bird hold the seat for Republicans.

The main battleground for Parents for Choice and the UEA was in House District 52. The school-choice side picked up a vote there. Rep. Dave Hogue, R-Riverton, a public-school backer, retired from the seat. And in the open race, Carl Wimmer, who received more than $6,000 from Parents for Choice, defeated Dennis Sampson, who saw nearly $4,300 in help from the UEA.

"We're really happy," Parents for Choice communications director Nancy Pomeroy said.

But public-school backers picked up support in other races. Rep. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem, who had sponsored school-choice bills in the past, was beaten by Orem City Councilman Stephen Sandstrom.

Ferrin received $200 from Parents for Choice. Sandstrom received slightly more than $800 from the UEA.

Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, held her seat against Mark Jacobs. Allen is the director of the Davis School District's nonprofit foundation and has been a leader in defeating pro-school-choice bills in the House.

Jacobs received $6,780 from Parents for Choice before news broke of his personal financial problems. School-choice backers then abandoned him, but they still accounted for 40 percent of Jacobs' money.

The Senate has voted in favor of school choice before. But pro-school-choicers saw one of their favorites beaten — Sen. David Thomas, R-South Ogden. Thomas was defeated by Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner. Parents for Choice gave Thomas $8,270 — 72 percent of all the money Thomas raised.

In several GOP House primaries, pro-school-choice candidates won. But now those Republicans go up against Democratic incumbents, who are backed by the UEA, in Democratic-leaning districts.

But Pomeroy's not counting noses just yet.

"We all need to step back, work hard and see how it all turns out in November," Pomeroy said. "Pedal to the metal."

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; jtcook@desnews.com