Jason Chaffetz, GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s former chief of staff, is set Monday to formally announce his intraparty challenge to Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, next year.

Cannon, who has fought challenges within his Republican Party for his past several re-elections, was expected to have another GOP challenger in 2008.

Chaffetz will be the first, with the possibility of others also getting in the race. No Democrat has yet announced a candidacy in Utah's 3rd Congressional District, which includes most of Utah County, the west side of Salt Lake County, and areas into central Utah.

Chaffetz has worked on a number of local GOP races. He joined Huntsman's 2004 campaign early, rising to being campaign manager before Huntsman won the office.

Chaffetz, a former Brigham Young University football place-kicker, was named Huntsman's first chief of staff in January 2005. In that position he considered running against U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, in 2006.

Chaffetz didn't get in that race but said at the time that he would consider a run for Congress at some other date.

That date appears to be now.

Cannon has beaten his previous GOP challengers either in the state Republican Party convention or in the closed GOP primary, held about a month after the convention in June of even-numbered years.