Utah Demos likely to put up a fight in November

Remember the elections of 2006?

Well, the 2008 elections in Utah are shaping up much the same way.

You have a couple of qualified (one rich) Republicans challenging GOP U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon in the 3rd District.

You have another rich Republican challenging Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson in the 2nd District.

And you have the makings of a sleeping 1st District race with incumbent Rob Bishop, a Republican, being challenged by a well-meaning but underresourced Democrat.

This year you will throw in GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s first (and he promises his only) re-election to the governor's seat. But unlike 2004 when Huntsman won his first term with around 56 percent of the vote, the Democratic nominee won't be well-known and well-financed.

Yes, 2008 has all the makings of another good year for Utah Republicans.

But wait, Utah Democratic Party leaders are saying.

They promise well-financed and well-organized races in Salt Lake County and the state Legislature.

And they may well be right — at least on the Salt Lake County part.

If Democrats can take one more seat on the nine-member Salt Lake County Council, they will have a majority. Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, a popular Democrat, is seeking re-election this year. And so far Republicans have not found a strong opponent — with the candidate filing deadline at 5 p.m. Monday.

If Democrats do win control of the County Council, and Corroon wins re-election, then Democrats can say they are running the largest county in the state, with 40 percent of the state's population. Combine that with Democratic Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker now in his first year of office, and Utah Democrats can feel pretty good about themselves.

But having Democrats in total control in Salt Lake County may only mean that the GOP-controlled Legislature could start taking chunks out of the county's hide, as lawmakers have been doing to the city for some years.

And there is almost no chance that the Legislature can go to the Democrats — although they could make some gains.

In 1986, an off-presidential year and off-year for a Utah governor's race, Democrats surprised even themselves by gaining 13 seats in the state House, putting them up to something like 31 representatives, seven short of a majority.