Former legislator Morgan Philpot may run for 2nd Congressional seat

Former state legislator Morgan Philpot, vice chairman of the Utah Republican Party, is seriously considering entering the 2nd Congressional District race, challenging Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

Philpot would be the first Republican to challenge Matheson in the 2010 race. Matheson, a moderate Democrat who often votes against the majority Democratic leadership in the House, has won re-election handily in the past several elections.

Philpot did not immediately return telephone calls for comment Tuesday.

But Dave Hansen, chairman of the state GOP, said that Philpot "would be an excellent candidate" to challenge Matheson, who remains popular in his GOP-leaning district. Philpot is a known conservative who in his days in the Utah House often took a strict constitutionalist line. He left the House to go to law school, returning to Utah several years ago, and has since considered several races but never filed for any. He would have to leave his volunteer job as state party vice chairman to seek the office.

In 2004, former GOP vice chairwoman Enid Greene left her party post for a short time to become then-gubernatorial candidate Nolan Karras' lieutenant-governor running mate. When Karras lost in a GOP primary, Greene returned to her party job and later became state GOP chairwoman.

Philpot is now legal counsel for Reagan Outdoor Advertising, and he often writes or lectures about the Constitution and other legal matters.

e-mail: bbjr@desnews.com