Huntsman is coasting; Springmeyer struggling

Governor's race? There's a governor's race this year? Who's running?

Those are questions Democrat Bob Springmeyer said he's been asked during his uphill battle to unseat incumbent GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. Only in recent days, Springmeyer said, have voters started paying attention to the campaign.

Still, the business consultant recruited by his party to take on the state's popular governor manages to sound upbeat and optimistic when talking about his chances of victory on Nov. 4.

"I think this race is in play," Springmeyer insists. "People are starting to see there is a legitimate challenger, someone who is willing to work hard and stand up" to the GOP-dominated Legislature.

Huntsman, however, hasn't been putting much effort into campaigning.

The governor only recently started running TV commercials, despite buying a block of media time that began nearly a month earlier. He'll end up spending only about one-fourth of the $3.5 million he poured into his 2004 race.

"My thought all the while has been that the best way to get re-elected is just to be a good governor," Huntsman said. "That's the best strategy for success. I'm not sure a lot of people want to see me as a politician."

Pollster Dan Jones said there's virtually no chance Springmeyer can win.

"With Utah being 55 percent Republican and 18 to 19 percent Democrat on a good year, that would be very, very difficult for Mr. Springmeyer to defeat Jon Huntsman Jr.," Jones said. "You can't point to Huntsman making a major mistake."

Still, Jones said, Springmeyer has done "a very credible job," especially in debates with Huntsman. Jones said that could be enough to ensure Springmeyer doesn't set a new state record with less than 23 percent of the vote, a mark set by Democrat Jim Bradley in 1996.

Springmeyer said he's put 17,000 miles on his Prius hybrid in the past six months and will have traveled to all but three of the state's 29 counties by Election Day, appearing everywhere from college football games to senior centers in his trademark bow tie.

He hasn't held press conferences and can't afford any TV, although he is advertising on billboards and on the radio in the final days of the election. Springmeyer said his smartest campaign move has been handing out cards printed with college fight songs at games.