Legislators report hefty sums in war chests for 2008 races

Utah legislators raked in the cash during last year — even though lawmakers were not running campaigns — as all House members and half the Senate plan their re-elections this year.

In addition, nearly all the incumbents raised most, if not all, of their money from special-interest groups who may well want something from the 2008 Legislature, which meets in its annual general session in just two weeks.

Legislative candidates' 2007 year-end financial reports were due at 5 p.m. Monday.

And while some well-known legislators waited until the last minutes to either fax in hard copies of their reports to the state Elections Office or file online, a review of the submitted reports by the Deseret Morning News late Monday showed that many legislators are carrying huge cash surpluses — money that can be used for anything, including legislators giving it to themselves.

The most successful fundraiser is House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. His reports show that he has nearly $230,000 in his personal campaign account and nearly $100,000 in his Speaker's PAC — giving him $330,000 at his disposal.

Even though Curtis only won re-election by 20 votes in 2006, in 2007 he was actively raising funds for his 2008 re-election — and maybe bigger races down the road.

Curtis recently told the newspaper that he will run for re-election to his Sandy district this year and will run for another two-year term as speaker as well. In 2006, he gave much of his campaign donations to fellow GOP House members — helping them not only win their own races but, hopefully, endearing them to vote for him as speaker one more time. It worked, as Curtis was unopposed in his last speaker's race.

Curtis promises that he will spend more and campaign harder this year so that Election Day won't be such a white-knuckle affair for him in 2008.

A review of the legislative campaign filings also showed that a number of senators are carrying very large cash balances as well. Senators run every four years, as opposed to House members who must run every two years.

For example, Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake, who was unsuccessfully targeted by Republicans for defeat in 2006, has a cash balance of $35,688, new filings show, even though he won't face re-election until 2010.

Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Sandy, has nearly $60,000 in cash, her new report says.

Some legislators are clearly raising funds hard now in anticipation of a tough race this year.

For example, Rep. Mark Walker, R-Sandy, barely won in 2006. He starts 2008 with a healthy $44,697 in cash.