GOP 4 for 4 in Utah races

For all the money spent, the TV ads run, the pavement pounded by candidates and volunteers, the 1998 election didn't change much in Utah.

Republicans are still king, although there may be a few different courtiers. They will make the policy and call the shots in most county commissions and the Legislature.The congressional delegation is still all Republican - although our three GOP House members go back to a weakened Republican House and an unchanged Senate to face a clearly rejuvenated President Clinton and uppity minority congressional Democrats.

Rep. Merrill Cook ended up with a healthy victory - considering the district's history - over Democrat Lily Eskelsen.

Eskelsen was moving on Cook several weeks ago. But a spate of negative ads by both sides seemed to slow Eskelsen's campaign. While polls indicated a close race, in the end Cook held a 10 percentage point win - comparable to some healthy victories by former 2nd District Rep. Wayne Owens, Democrat, in the late 1980s.

Cook is the first 2nd District incumbent to win re-election this decade.

Rep. Jim Hansen coasted to victory in the 1st Congressional District over Democrat Steve Beierlein.

Rep. Chris Cannon didn't have a Democratic opponent in the 3rd District, winning big.

And as expected, Sen. Bob Bennett squashed his Democratic challenger, Scott Leckman.

Utah voters adopted Proposition 5, the constitutional amendment that will now require a two-thirds vote for passage of any citizen initiative that deals with hunting and fishing.

And Salt Lake County voters decided to change their form of government. In 2000 a "mayor" and nine council members will be elected to run the sprawling county government.

And struggling Democrats lost a seat on the Salt Lake County Commission.

While Democrat Karen Crompton led most of Tuesday evening, at the end she was nipped by incumbent GOP Commissioner Mary Callaghan. With Republican Mark Shurtleff also winning, the commission now is all Republican - the first time since the 1980s that Democrats don't have a say in running the largest county in the state.

But Republicans will have complete control for only two years. With the passage of the change-of-government initiative, the commissioners' terms end in 2001 when the new government takes office.

Voter turnout was a bit higher than expected as last-minute advertisements hit the airways and appeared in newspapers. Salt Lake County came in at 45 percent, partly because of active get-out-the-vote drives by Democrats and Republicans.