State GOP officer Morgan Philpot to challenge Matheson

SALT LAKE CITY — Former GOP state House member Morgan Philpot said Friday he will challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson this year.

Philpot is resigning his post as vice-chairman of the Utah Republican Party effective Jan. 23, when the party's central committee will pick a new vice chairman.

"I will be announcing my candidacy in early February," Philpot told the Deseret News.

Republicans have had a tough time finding someone to run against Matheson in 2010.

After barely winning re-election in a newly drawn 2nd Congressional District in 2002, Matheson, son of the late Gov. Scott M. Matheson, has won larger victories in each successive election. The congressman has more than $1 million in his campaign account.

In those recent GOP defeats, the Republican candidate was wealthy and basically self-funded his challenge, losing badly in the geographically huge 2nd District, which extends eastward from eastern Salt Lake County and south to Washington and Iron counties.

But that self-funding won't be the case with Philpot, a-38-year-old attorney who works for Reagan Outdoor Advertising, a job he says he will resign to campaign full-time.

"I'll be fundraising myself and living on savings," said Philpot, a noted conservative who is married with five children.

Asked where he stands differently from the Democrat, Philpot said, "I don't know where he stands on many issues, he has changed so often." He said he'll be detailing his differences with Matheson as the campaign heats up later in the year.

Philpot said he does oppose the Democrats' health care reform package now in Congress.

But even though Matheson voted against the Democratic House health care plan when it originally passed that body, "he did everything he could to see that it got to a floor vote, and then voted against it," Philpot said.

Matheson and other Utahns have been against EnergySolutions' attempts to bring higher-level radioactive waste to the company's facility in Tooele County.

Philpot said his "initial" feeling is to oppose that, as well. But he said wants to meet with EnergySolutions officials, as well as opponents to the idea. And if convinced that such storage is responsible and safe, he would entertain EnergySolutions' arguments.

Most of all, said Philpot, he is against Congress' wasteful, debt-increasing spending and its handling of the economy.