Stephens, Mansell to run again

The two main leaders of the Utah Legislature, House Speaker Marty Stephens and Senate President Al Mansell, have decided to seek re-election this year.

And if they are re-elected, as expected, it's likely both will also run for their top legislative leadership posts.

Mansell, R-Sandy, declined to tell the Deseret News during the final days of the 2002 session what his political plans were, but on the last day of the session he announced he would seek re-election. He declined to say if he would run for Senate president again, saying he had to win his election first. However, it's unlikely he would run for re-election and not seek the top post in the Senate again.

Leadership elections are held a few days after the November general election.

Stephens had been leaning toward not running again. "In fact, I'd written letters to the House Republicans saying I was retiring," he said Tuesday. "I was going to mail the letters" the final day of the session.

But he was encouraged by a number of House Republicans to run again. Thirty-one of 51 signed a petition that was circulated by some conservatives and moderates in the body, asking him to stay, he said.

"Several others, who didn't sign it, called later to ask that I run again. I didn't plan this. In fact, when some representatives wanted to pass around a petition in December, I asked them not to.

"I've seen instances when a faction backs someone for speaker" and it split the House Republicans, Stephens said. "I don't believe that is the case here, or I wouldn't have changed my mind."

Both Stephens and Mansell have been mentioned as possible GOP gubernatorial candidates in 2004. And, as conventional thinking goes, it would be better to run for that higher office from the high-profile posts of speaker or president. Former Gov. Norm Bangerter was House speaker when he ran and won the governorship in 1984.

Mansell has been Senate president for two years, Stephens speaker for four year.

When Mansell was running against then-Senate President Lyle Hillyard for the top post he twice told the Deseret News that he would only serve one term as president. Hillyard, likewise, was promising to serve only one, two-year term as president, saying turnover in the top office was a good thing. Mansell said his private business operations have changed, and so that frees him up for more legislative service.