Candidates abound in Utah

As reported previously, GOP Gov. Huntsman seeks re-election. He is challenged by Charles Smith of Farmington in the Republican Party and by longtime Democrat Bob Springmeyer (along with Schanze as a Libertarian and Monty "Millionaire" Nafoosi as a Democrat).

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, is challenged by Democrat Morgan Bowen in the 1st District.

And Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson faces a number of opponents in the 2nd District. One of the Republican Party's hopes is Bill Dew, a well-to-do former homebuilder. But also filing as Republicans are Kenneth Gray of Sandy, Cook of Salt Lake City, and Chris Jacobs of Cedar City.

Salt Lake County has been voting more and more Democratic in recent years — delivering a solid base for Matheson. And in 2008, with the winning of one more County Council seat, Democrats can take control of county government.

Democratic County Mayor Peter Corroon is seen as a popular incumbent, and Republicans had to wait until Monday to find a candidate to oppose him: Michael Renckert, 47, a state parole officer who has not sought public office before.

Republicans, who hold two-thirds majorities in the state House and Senate, in the 2007 Legislature passed a new private school voucher law. Opponents organized and collected enough voter signatures to put the law on last November's ballot, where it was soundly defeated. And a number of races this year appear tainted by that bitter voucher fight.

Jean Hill, a Democrat and the State Office of Education attorney who raised the ire of the Attorney General's Office last summer during the voucher battle, is running against Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, a Republican.

Republican Carmen Snow, a former PTA president and member of the anti-voucher Utahns for Public Schools, is running against Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, in state Senate District 29. Urquhart is a strong voucher backer.

Democrat Lisa Johnson, spokesperson for Utahns for Public Schools, is running against Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper. And Margaret Bird, Trust Lands specialist of the State Office of Education (which had members who opposed vouchers), is challenging Hughes within the Republican Party.

Chris Williams, Davis School District spokesman and a Republican, challenges Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Clearfield.

"Many Republican legislators have vouchers tattooed on their foreheads" and are so targeted, said Democratic Party chairman Wayne Holland. "The arrogance of the ethically challenged (GOP legislators) made candidate recruiting much easier this year. Vouchers will be back" and Utahns should look to Democratic candidates to stop them again, Holland said.