Race tight for House seat

Greg Curtis says he wants another term in the Utah House — and another term as speaker — to finish critical work for the state and his northeast Sandy constituents.

Jay Seegmiller says it is time for a change, especially since Curtis has "ignored" House District 49 voters in the past. Seegmiller is especially critical of Curtis' vote in favor of private school vouchers in the 2007 Legislature, when District 49 voters rejected vouchers by nearly 2-to-1 later that same year.

The Curtis-Seegmiller race is one of the most contested battles in the Legislature. And a recent Deseret News/KSL-TV poll conducted by pollster Dan Jones & Associates finds the race is a statistical tie — Curtis at 42 percent support and Seegmiller at 41 percent support among registered voters in District 49.

In 2006 Seegmiller lost to Curtis by just 20 votes — and the defeat of a sitting GOP House speaker would be a definite plum for the Utah Democratic Party.

Curtis said he's delivered for his constituents. Among his accomplishments: state money to buy open space on Sandy's east bench; a TRAX stop at 9400 South; a freeway interchange at 11400 South; fighting to take the sales tax off food; fully funding the low-income Child Health Insurance Program; and using part of the county's hotel room tax to help build a new soccer stadium in Sandy.

"I know the Democratic Party has put a target on me, and I'm not shying away from that challenge," said Curtis, first elected in 1994 and speaker the last four years. Curtis works as an attorney specializing in land-use law.

Seegmiller, a conductor for Amtrak and a local transportation union legislative director, doesn't see the race in partisan terms.

"I was a political independent before I ran" for the District 49 seat in 2004, said Seegmiller, who lost to Curtis 52-47 percent in a three-way race. "When I decided to run I committed to three election cycles. It takes that long to be known in your district. I did well in that first race, got real close the second. I think I have a good chance to win this year."

His main issue? Ethics.

"Utah's ethics laws are so lax. I talk to people in other states; I look at federal rules. It is crazy what goes on here."

Seegmiller wants to "severely limit or ban gifts from lobbyists to legislators"; restrict campaign contributions by political action committees, individuals and corporations; ban any campaign contributions 30 days before and after the general session (campaign donations are now banned during the 45-day sessions); tighten conflict of interest rules, including allowing lawmakers to abstain from conflicted votes; and candidates/lawmakers "can't pocket their campaign funds," which is now allowed.