Chaffetz also complains that Cannon improperly uses his congressional staff — who are paid with tax dollars — to do political work.

Hunter said all congressional staff go through ethics training that specifically addresses congressional versus campaign work. Hunter emphasized that he answered questions for this article on a non-congressional cell phone so there was no conflict.

Cannon spokesman Fred Piccolo, who under House rules can address the congressman's voting record, said on immigration, Cannon voted for increased border patrol, voted for Real ID, voted in favor of making illegal attempts to enter the United States a felony and voted for putting troops at the border.

"If they want to talk about votes, those are votes," Piccolo said.

But Cannon's voting record is not the only issue as far as challengers David Leavitt and Joe Ferguson are concerned.

"I believe service in Congress should be service and not a career," Leavitt said. He does not think the Republicans will win back the majority in the House after the November election, so Cannon's seniority argument does not matter.

"When Democrats took control, the value of his seniority declined," Leavitt said.

Money is a key element in a campaign, where Leavitt, former Juab County attorney, has already raised and spent $118,000 based on the latest Federal Election Commission numbers while Chaffetz has pledged to only spend $100,000 for the whole campaign.

"How you run your campaign is indicative of how you will be in office," Chaffetz said, saying that his low-budget, grassroots campaign plan of no paid staff, no free meals and no polling goes along with his fiscal conservative ideology.

Leavitt, younger brother of former Utah governor and current Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, said it is not realistic for Chaffetz to think he can run a campaign on $100,000, when the 2006 race between Cannon and John Jacob reached the million-dollar mark.

"For those looking to replace Chris Cannon, he would have a hard time challenging him in a primary," Leavitt said.

Leavitt says he is a better choice than Chaffetz because he has spent his career as a prosecutor while Chaffetz has spent his time as a marketer.

"I've spent my life making very difficult decisions," Leavitt said. "Do you want a salesman to go to Congress or someone who has a proven track record?"

Chaffetz owns corporate communications firm Maxtera Utah.

Ferguson, who just entered the race earlier this year, said that Cannon's voting record as well as the actions by the president, Congress and Supreme Court overall have hurt the country.

"This nation is on a road to self destruction," Ferguson said. "I have a better vision of what the problems are and what need to be done to solve them."

Ferguson described Cannon as "a puppet of the Eastern liberal establishment."

"I don't trust him as a Congressman. I don't trust him as a person," Ferguson said.

---

E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com