State Legislature to pick its leaders

Now comes the other round of Utah legislative elections — House and Senate leadership contests, the ones that inside state government at times may be more important than those held Tuesday.

The 75-member House will have a new speaker with the defeat Tuesday of Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. The new 53-majority House Republican caucus meets next Tuesday for the all-important, secret votes for speaker, majority leader, majority whip and assistant majority whip.

House Majority Leader David Clark, R-Santa Clara, said Wednesday he is running for speaker and is not aware of any competition — yet. "After all, it's not a day old," Clark said of Curtis' loss to Democrat Jay Seegmiller.

Clark said Curtis encouraged him several days ago to start campaigning for the speaker slot. "He said we need to have a 'Plan B' just in case. Here we are," Clark said. "I spent a lot of time last night and today working with my colleagues. I'm encouraged today."

Clark said Rep. Kevin Garn, R-Layton, is running to succeed him as majority leader.

Other Republicans reportedly considering running for GOP House leadership posts include: Reps. Brad Dee, R-Ogden; Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville; Ben Ferry, R-Corinne; Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville; Becky Lockhart, R-Provo; Brad Last, R-St. George, Ronda Menlove, R-Garland; and Mike Noel, R-Kanab.

Others may announce before the actual vote, House sources said.

Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, one of the leaders of the moderate "Reagan Caucus" in the House, says her group will meet this week "to decide what we need to do — but certainly we want to have someone in each (of the four) majority leadership contests."

"These positions are just too important to give them away" to one person who seeks the post, she said.

The GOP-controlled House needs leaders to have a "mix of political philosophical positions, just like the Utah Republican Party and the state as a whole needs to have such a mix," said Allen, who has been sharply criticized by some House conservatives over the last six months for backing ethics charges against several fellow GOP colleagues.

Allen said she herself won't run for a leadership post, in part because she has become a lightning rod for her ethics stands, and because she is helping care for an elderly relative and holds down a full-time job, as well.