Valentine might challenge Herbert

Gov. Gary Herbert may have some competition from a fellow Utah County Republican when he runs next year for the remainder of his predecessor's term.

Although several potential GOP challengers have already dropped out of the race, Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said he won't decide until early November whether he's in or out.

"Am I leaning toward it? Yeah, I'm leaning toward it. I wouldn't be making this sort of announcement if I wasn't," Valentine told the Deseret News Wednesday.

But, Valentine said, he wants to give Herbert a chance to show what his administration plans to do on a number of issues including taxes, efficiencies in government, energy development, health care and education.

"If he's going to come up with policies similar to mine, there's no reason to run. It's not an ego thing," Valentine, a former Senate president, said. "He's got some major decisions that have to be made."

Herbert, who took over as governor Aug. 11 after Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. resigned to become U.S. ambassador to China, is already dealing with some of those issues.

Last week, Herbert announced he would not raise taxes in his budget and said there's no reason for lawmakers to be considering a $100 million boost in alcohol, tobacco and other taxes at a time when the economy is struggling.

And Thursday, Herbert will announce a new initiative to look for cost-saving efficiencies in state government. Such actions "are very much in line with where I'm at," Valentine said.

"So far, he's doing fine. But can he get the specifics, can he get the decisions made and lead out on those decisions? That's what the next couple of months will reveal," the senator said. "If he can't get it done, we'll announce we're running."

Other likely contenders for the GOP nomination next year have dropped out, including Salt Lake Chamber President Lane Beattie and University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics Director Kirk Jowers.

Herbert must run in a special election in 2010 because of a new state constitutional amendment on succession. Both he and Valentine were seen as candidates for what would have been the next gubernatorial election, in 2012.

Valentine has raised more money than Herbert, according to state disclosure reports — more than $187,000 compared to nearly $160,000. But Valentine has collected only about $2,000 this year while just over $150,000 of Herbert's money has come since the mid-May announcement of Huntsman's appointment as ambassador.

Valentine said at that time he would wait to decide whether to enter the 2010 race but had not yet set a deadline for his decision.

e-mail: lisa@desnews.com