Evans added that he did not specifically push Alexander to run. Rather, Evans said, in a Salt Lake County GOP central committee meeting on the Saturday before the candidate filing period ended the following Monday, he addressed the 435 committee members asking that anyone who lived in a legislative district where Republicans didn't have a candidate to please run.

Evans said Alexander came up to him and introduced himself and said he would run in District 35, which was unfilled after the candidate who ran in 2006 at the last minute decided not to run again.

"We had a hole. I wanted it filled. I wanted to have candidates in every race. I told (Alexander) to run. But then I was telling everyone to run," said Evans. Evans said he didn't remember ever meeting Alexander before. "I don't know all of the precinct chairs in the county (Republican Party) — although I would like to — there are so many," said Evans.

He told central committee members that if more than one good GOP candidate filed for an office, "that was fine by me, let four or five file."

But he also added that if two or more good candidates filed, they may want to sit down among themselves "and see if they really want to run, really want to do this." And if one or more decided to drop out of the race, that was OK, too.

In fact, Evans announced Monday that former Utah House member Susan Lawrence had decided to drop out of the race to regain her old District 36 seat in the Millcreek area of Salt Lake County. Evans said Lawrence talked it over with Drew B. Quinn, another Republican challenging Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Millcreek, who had unseated Lawrence two years ago.

"Susan decided to get out of the race. She met (Quinn) and said if (he) couldn't win, she couldn't win," said Evans.

The situation is similar in District 35, said Evans, and he said it was "curious" that Alexander was now complaining about a telephone call from Carrie Towner.

"Carrie was on a candidate recruitment committee the last two years, since the 2006 elections. And so she and others have been looking for candidates" countywide. When the 2006 GOP candidate, who was expected to run again, decided not to run at the last minute, Evans said he and other county GOP activists started beating the bushes — and no doubt that is when Towner found Taylor and asked him to run.

"We don't do what the Democrats do all the time. They pick one person and run them" with few intra-party fights, said Evans. Republicans have multiple candidates in many races, said Evans. "And we only said: 'If this is something you really don't want to do, and if we have a good candidate in the race already, then feel free"' to get out, said Evans.

Alexander said he'd still file as a candidate again, even with what has happened. "If I lose this time, I'll file again in years ahead. I want to be involved, I want to serve."

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com