However, nationwide energy from the protests that mobilized Rafael has apparently fallen short.

Advocates had seen the potential to register 1 million new mostly Hispanic voters but as of last week had said they signed up fewer than 150,000 people, The Associated Press reported. (See story above.)

In Utah, Hispanics typically make up only 3 percent to 4 percent of voters, according to Brigham Young University exit polls. And John Keeley, spokesman for the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports reduced levels of immigration, said Hispanic voters don't all support the undocumented.

"Many of them do make the distinction between legal and illegal immigration because of their own experience," he said, pointing to Arizona, where exit polls found 47 percent of Hispanic voters approve of Proposition 200, a measure to restrict the rights of the undocumented.

However, Lionel Sosa, a Republican political strategist and CEO of the Web nonprofit Mexicans & Americans Thinking Together, told the AP: "It will be slow, but eventually everyone running for a political office will under- stand that this is a vote to be reckoned with."

Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said immigration has receded as a top issue, observing that "Iraq has become such a powerful issue that it is controlling everything."

However, he noted Cannon was forced into two primary challenges. Cannon voted along with the other Utah representatives on getting tough on immigration, but he's also publicly supported President Bush's call for a guest-worker program.

"I think perception is reality, and people perceived that Cannon has been attacked in his last few elections by the immigration folks saying he is not hard-line enough," Jowers said. "Regardless of how he votes, people will remember more the billboards and radio ads."

Cannon said he's been unfairly targeted by hard-liners. "I have a perfect voting record to enforce against illegal immigration," he said.

But his opponent, Burridge, believes that he will benefit on Election Day from what he sees as a contradictory stand by Cannon.

"He doesn't have a clear position," Burridge said. "Those who are naturalized and can vote, I think they'll vote for me. My system is understandable, it's clear and it's fair."

Still, Cannon said that while immigration is a significant issue across America, "I'm not driven by those who are going to vote for me on the immigration issue."

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Contributing: The Associated Press

E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com