Bennett enlists campaign chairmen in 29 counties

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, has enlisted a long list of legislators, county commissioners, mayors and others to act as county campaign chairmen in what is turning into a tough battle for re-election.

Bennett released a list this week of campaign chairmen in all 29 counties, saying that shows he is forming a "massive organization" to recruit delegates to next year's state GOP convention.

The list includes 10 county commissioners, six state senators, six state representatives, three mayors and several business leaders.

Among the better-known names are Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan; Cedar City Mayor Gerald Sheratt; Utah House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton; Senate Executive Appropriation Committee Co-Chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan; and former Senate president John Valentine, R-Orem.

Jim Bennett, the senator's son and campaign manager, said the campaign has been recruiting people to run for delegates to the state convention for a year as part of its expanded organization. "We have several thousand people committed to run as delegates next year who have already pledged their support," he said. "We're going to continue to recruit delegates and earn the nomination."

A candidate who earns 60 percent of delegate votes at the convention becomes the party's nominee and advance to the general election. Otherwise, the top two candidates face off in a primary election.

"It's those 3,500 people (state delegates) who get to decide who the Republican nominee will be," Sen. Bennett said.

A poll for the Deseret News and KSL-TV by Dan Jones & Associates showed this week that only 31 percent of Utah adults say they would vote for Bennett if the election were held today. He is being challenged by four other Republicans and a Democrat so far, and others are expected to enter the race.

Bennett, 75, who has served 17 years in the Senate, has been criticized most strongly by conservatives who say he is not conservative enough.

e-mail: lee@desnews.com