Utah Demos pleased to keep same numbers

Even though the makeup of the GOP-dominated Utah Legislature hasn't changed, Democrats claimed victory Wednesday after holding onto the same number of seats in both the House and the Senate.

"It was an unprecedented attack we just survived. ... It was an onslaught," said Todd Taylor, Utah Democratic Party executive director. "There is no question that it was a magnificent night for us."

Taylor said Democrats were able to maintain their numbers in the Legislature despite a powerful push from the GOP because of momentum from the national Democrats' takeover of Congress as well as the popularity of Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

Democrats came within 46 votes of replacing House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, with a Democrat. But only two incumbent lawmakers were ousted — Rep. Carl Duckworth, D-Magna, and Rep. Susan Lawrence, R-Salt Lake.

A recount is expected in Curtis' race after the final vote canvas is completed on Nov. 21, as well as possibly in two other races narrowly won by Republicans — Rep. Mark Walker's victory in Sandy and Deena Ely's win over Duckworth.

Utah GOP leaders were just relieved they broke even. There are still 56 Republicans and 19 Democrats in the 75-member House and 21 Republicans and eight Democrats in the Senate.

"We held our own," said Jeff Hartley, Utah Republican Party executive director. "We thought (our candidates) would be stronger than they ended up being. It was a tough year to be a Republican, frankly."

Hartley said the party spent more than $300,000 on state legislative races, including at least $50,000 on hundreds of last-minute commercials for nine candidates that aired on a dozen cable television channels.

The funding the party received from Parents for Choice, a political action committee that supports government vouchers for private school tuition, may have ended up hurting some legislative candidates, Hartley said.

"I think the Democrats and their supporters were able to make an effective case that Parents for Choice in Education, as a special-interest group, was too heavy-handed in those races," he said. "That label did stick with some of our candidates, and that's unfortunate."

Hartley said he disagreed with that assessment and didn't regret accepting money from the PAC. "The reality is, we'll take money from groups that support Republican causes and Republican candidates. The Democrats do it — look at all the union money."