GOP senators in 1995 tweaked a system that had traditionally allowed the longest-serving member in the majority to serve indefinitely as chairman. Instead, they limited terms to six years and allowed election of chairmen by secret ballot.

The new rule knocked Hatch out of the chair of the Judiciary Committee in early 2005 after six years and he was replaced by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

If Democrats take control of the Senate either in the Nov. 7 election or in the elections of 2008, Hatch will fall into the minority and he won't chair any committees.

A committee chairmanship is important. Chairmen set the committee's agenda, hire the committee's majority staff and can delay or kill a bill or appropriation.

The Judiciary Committee oversees all judicial appointments. And Hatch was constantly sought out by the national media during the 1990s, when as committee chairman he battled then-Democratic President Bill Clinton over his judicial nominees.

Hatch has had a much lower national profile in recent years, since his chairmanship ended.

On his campaign Web site Hatch refers to his seniority and how he can bring influence to help Utah.

He doesn't say on his Web site that he won't hold a committee chairmanship again until 2009, instead saying he is the most senior GOP member of the Judiciary Committee and the second-most senior GOP member on the Senate Finance Committee.

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Contributing: Lee Davidson

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com