Cannon stresses his principles, experience

WASHINGTON — Why would anyone want to reapply for a job where there is constant scrutiny and controversy over every word spoken — or misspoken — every nickel raised or spent, every decision made and no guarantee it will still be yours in two years?

For Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, who is running for his seventh term in the U.S. House, it is because he wants to extend the 12 years of legislation he's passed, relationships he's built and influence he's developed in order to help Utah, and the country overall. Being able to play a part in guiding the country's future is enough to make him want to come back for more.

"The fact is it costs me a lot of money to be in this job," Cannon said. "There are all kinds of other jobs that are really, really interesting, but what is happening here is important and it is more important than the money I am not making and the other things I am not doing."

Cannon, a father of eight who lives in Mapleton with his wife Claudia, wore a few hats before coming to Washington, including writing coal mine regulations under President Ronald Reagan and reopening Geneva Steel in 1987 with his brother Joe Cannon, who is now the editor of the Deseret News. In 1990, Cannon purchased Geneva's new venture division, now called Cannon Industries Inc.

Utah's 3rd Congressional District voters elected Cannon to the House in 1996, where he has served since, despite almost biannual challenges from within his own party. Those challenges from fellow Republicans continue this year, when he almost lost his seat at the state GOP convention to Jason Chaffetz, a political consultant and former chief of staff to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. Despite barely escaping the convention, going into Tuesday's GOP primary, Cannon is hoping his experience in the House and consistent record will allow him to continue to serve in Congress.

"I am running for re-election because there is a huge value in my relationships and my experience and my institutional understanding to do things that I think are very important to the world," Cannon said. "The ability to drive policy is far greater than even I had imagined and, therefore, the responsibility I feel is far greater than I had ever imagined it would be."

Cannon said he came to Washington with a set of principles and has voted consistently with those principles. He is a "consistent conservative," and while he will not go in his district and "blow my own horn" on every bill passed or other accomplishment, he said he has passed plenty of legislation, even without his name attached to it.