No. 8 — Marty Stephens

Utah House Speaker Marty Stephens is the only sitting state legislator to make the newspaper's top 10 and the only one to make the top 20.

Stephens, R-Farr West, was first elected in 1988 and soon made an impact, serving as either the House budget chairman, majority leader or speaker since 1990.

"I have a very inclusive (leadership) style," said Stephens, 46.

"I don't claim to know everything, and I feel very comfortable in inviting many people to have a say.

"How do I decide when to use political power, if I have any? I use it on issues that are principle-based. And I don't use it frequently.

"I don't like to throw power around just because I have it. I think it is a better sign if a leader is someone who has the capacity to wield power but chooses to use that very occasionally and judiciously."

Stephens, who briefly considered challenging GOP Gov. Mike Leavitt for the Republican gubernatorial nomination 18 months ago, said he's seen former legislative leaders abuse their power by lording it over members for one reason or another.

"I never liked serving under those kind of leaders. I think that that actually shows a weakness, that they feel like they have to force people to feel subservient by wielding their power.

"So you work on earned respect rather than forced respect," Stephens said.

The speaker agrees with Leavitt that power derived from elected office is fleeting.

That may be especially true in Stephens' position — the last three speakers of the Utah House became paid lobbyists. And while they are treated kindly by their former colleagues, most sitting lawmakers say former speakers don't have great influence on their decisions.

Influence comes with his speakership office, Stephens said. Leaving office won't "change my own personality traits. But as far as the perception by others that I have some amount of power in our state, I think that will be reduced substantially."

"When you serve in high elective office, you have the opportunity to be a force for good in our state. And once you move on from that position, either voluntarily or forced, you don't have the same capacity to affect as many people on a daily basis."

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