A veteran Democratic state senator was ousted Saturday in the Salt Lake County Democratic Convention.

Sen. Fred Fife, D-Salt Lake, was defeated by newcomer Luz Robles in Senate District 1, a Democratic stronghold on Salt Lake City's west side.

County Democrats were large in number and enthusiastic at Saturday's convention at Jordan High School in Sandy.

"Democrats win in this county," Salt Lake County Councilman Randy Horiuchi shouted to a packed auditorium. Horiuchi seeks re-election to his county-wide district this year.

But for Fife, his elected days may be over. A former House member in his first term in the state Senate, Fife appeared to be outworked and outspent by Robles, who has already raised $28,000, mostly in small donations.

"I'm looking forward to bringing more energy" to the district, which includes the Rose Park, Glendale and Poplar Grove neighborhoods, Robles said. "We are ready to take not only Senate District 1, but the White House. It's a great year to be a Democrat."

While Senate District 1 has historically been a safe Democratic seat, it was held by a Republican in the early 2000s, and Robles now faces Salt Lake City Councilman Carlton Christensen, who is the Republican nominee.

"The most important thing is this is a Democratic district, but it can be won by the Republicans," Fife said shortly after his convention loss. He said he will do all he can to help Robles defeat Christensen.

The Democrats also nominated a new county party chairman Saturday after Christian Burridge abruptly resigned last week. Former party vice chairman Weston Clark will now lead the party.

Bob Springmeyer, the Democratic Party leaders' choice to run against GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. this year, seemed to feed off of the energy at Saturday's Democratic convention.

"We can win this thing," said Springmeyer, a business consultant. Holding up a pen, Springmeyer told the Democrats that he would use it to veto "any bill that comes out of a closed (Republican legislative) caucus."

"This pen would have vetoed vouchers so we wouldn't have had to waste all that money. This pen would have vetoed the omnibus education bill that takes money away from our kids."

Last year's private school voucher fight cost millions of dollars, money better spent in educating Utah public school children, Springmeyer said. The GOP-controlled Legislature passed the voucher bill, and Huntsman signed it. But a citizen referendum got the new law on the ballot, and Utahns voted vouchers down.