Choice by Rep. Jason Chaffetz holds one key to Utah's already intriguing 2012 elections

SALT LAKE CITY — Will he or won't he?

As rumors persist that Rep. Jason Chaffetz is going to challenge Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2012 for Hatch's seat in the U.S. Senate — the same sort of innuendo that's been popping up on prominent national websites such as Politico.com and The Hill throughout 2010 — Chaffetz is doing nothing to discourage the speculation.

"It's a determination that my family and I will make in about a year's time," Chaffetz said Thursday. "I'm going to focus on my work in the House and do the very best job I can."

Hatch's bid for re-election to the U.S. Senate stands to be the most momentous of a passel of potentially interesting races that could make the 2012 elections among the most interesting in recent Utah history.

The struggle for Hatch's seat would be chart-topper anywhere because it will both determine whether Hatch receives a seventh six-year term and could potentially pit a popular and relatively new-to-the-game politician against the ultimate Washington insider. Likely looking to avoid the fight of his political life, Utah's senior senator has subtly discouraged Chaffetz from running during the past several months. In a recent interview with radio station KCPW, Hatch alleged that the Congressman from Utah's Third District promised him in 2009 that Chaffetz would not challenge Hatch's candidacy in 2012.

"Jason has been with me right in my office and said that he's not going to run against me," Hatch told KCPW. "(He) made it very, very clear."

Chaffetz subsequently, unequivocally denied ever making such a promise.

Last week during an interview with the Deseret News, Hatch referred to the 43-year-old Chaffetz as "a very nice young man" who he didn't view as a threat. Hatch added, "I hope that he'll concentrate on doing the job there (in the House)."

As these early skirmishes indicate, Chaffetz vs. Hatch has all the makings of a big-time political slugfest featuring two hard-hitting heavyweights standing toe-to-toe and trading blows. However, this could also be a match-up that never comes to fruition.

"I think a lot of that just depends on this next session of Congress," mused Kelly Patterson, BYU political science professor and director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. "I think a lot depends on what kind of influence (Chaffetz) has in the House in the upcoming session and what kind of difference he thinks he can make if he decides to switch offices."