Reader comments
Chaffetz may be first to not live in district he represents

With a 4th district coming, who knows where the boundary is going. Is that why Matheson used a PO Box when he registered with the state to run?

If it is good enough for the constitution, it is good enough for me. Jason has been very upfront about this. I asked him about 6 months or so ago.

I am glad he won.

11,000 feet from the current boundaries, yet still in utah county is certainly fine with me as one of Chaffetz' new constituent-to-be. Congrats to Jason on a well-run campaign, principled approaches and to his awesome volunteer team. It's been a great ride so far - looking forward to his representation for a long, long time.

Not a big deal. When he runs for re-election the boundaries could be completely different after the 2010 census

Don't forget about Orrin. Doesn't he live in DC, but he supposedly represents us Utahns?

Nice!...Chaffetz unseats Chris Cannon and goes on to win handily in the general election and your lead story on him is the worn-out claim that he lives outside his district...get over it brother Joe...the new kid won.

Everyone is sick of this garbage. We need change in politics AND in the media. We need to encourage everyone who one to work together now. DN, give it a rest!

"Hey, there's an (R) by his name, they my vote."

He's lived in the third district for most of his 20 years in Utah County. He never tried to hide the fact that he lived near the current district boundary, but not in the district.

Lesser men might have rented a condo inside the district, so it couldn't be brought up as an issue. A man of apparent integrity, Chaffetz successfully made the case that he would effectively represent the district, even though his house is about 10,000 feet outside the official boundary.

Congress needs more Reps with this level of integrity.

Chaffetz fits the Utah County mormon profile. He wouldn't fit in living in the 3rd district. There are brown people in the 3rd district. Chaffetz would put them in concentration camps. What a sad commentary when the mormons band together to elect a solid racist and Latinophobe. Why can't mormons at least vote like Christians?

....of course!

You get what you vote for, and since YOU have all elected a guy who "cheats just a little bit", I suppose that you won't mind if he continues that morality?

Shame on you, 3rd District.

The DesNews needs to get over the Cannon loss. What Chaffetz did was legal and above board all the way, and was a far better choice than the incumbent and the liberal democratic challenger. It just goes to show that incumbents can't ignore the voters, nor can liberals dress up in conservative issues and try to slide by the voters. In the Third CD voters were able to avoid getting caught again being forced to vote for the lessor of two evils. For those that were too conservative for even Chaffetz, there was Jim Noorlander.

won't be redrawn until AFTER the 2010 census. So the earliest he would run in a new district would be 2012.

The reason he ran against Cannon is that he knew hew would have a chance if he could just win the Primary in a district that blindly votes Republican.

He would not have stood a chance if he had run in his district against Matheson.

You know, the Constitution allows Jason Chaffetz to run. I asked him about this months ago before the Primary. Those that are complaining about this need amend the Constitution if they don't like it. In the meantime, the voters have spoken. And personally, I live in the 3rd Disctrict, and I do not in Utah County. Chaffetz's house is actually closer to me than Bennion Spencer's. It's a moot point and the voters have spoken. Let it go. Good luck, Jason!

Now that he's in office let's see what he'll do about illegals ruining our state/country. Was it all lip service to get in the door like most of the other politicians or is he a man of his word. We're watching Jason!

The first? You're only off by 200 years. The first was William McCreery of Maryland.

(Since I can't put a URL you'll have to search for the most recent Supreme Court case that mentions this - U. S. TERM LIMITS, INC., et al., PETITIONERS 93-1456 v. RAY THORNTON et al. WINSTON BRYANT, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ARKANSAS, PETITIONER 93-1828, May 22, 1995)

The congressman is, technically, elected to represent the entire state but to ensure the one-person/one-vote principle the states are divided into districts. Living in the district is sometimes a political move. For example when the democrats split his district three ways Newt Gingrich moved to the district he wanted to represent. He didn't have to move but it was considered a good "political move."

Allowed by the Constitution or not, it's not right to represent an area you don't live in. I'm sorry, but you should live in your district. I think we need to make a change to the constitution to ensure this requirement is met.

We also need to end the Republican Party's stupid district maps to ensure democrats can't get anywhere in this state. End the republican control of this state and let the party system work as it was intended!

"We also need to end the Republican Party's stupid district maps to ensure democrats can't get anywhere in this state. End the republican control of this state and let the party system work as it was intended!"
Right! Let the Dems show us how they gerrymander a map! They've certainly had enough practice in the states -they- control!

mdub, don't be ignorant, he lives RIGHT NEXT TO THE BORDER. Who cares his house is a mile away when the district spans hundreds and hundreds of rural and urban land?

Chaffetz hit this issue in full honesty and I keep hearing people like you complain, it makes my head want to explode. He'll represent us perfectly well.

He is NOT a man of integrity. Get real. He is a skilled PR guy who manipulated the Utah GOP and the 3rd District into voting him into office. I am just continually amazed as I have watched this guy convince people around him to do what he wants. He is personally motivated to be a Congressman and we let him do it no matter where he lives, what kind of disasters he caused during Huntsman's transition to Governor, at NuSkin, etc. This dude is one piece of work and I am utterly EMBARRASSED that he is not my representative. When I right to my new Congressman (Chaffetz) I'll have to ask him to write to his Congressman too (Matheson). What a joke!

Dear Embarrassed,
Since I have met him personally, and asked him questions, and voted with him, along with over 170,000 voters, I can say, you are wrong. Jason is a great guy, and will be a great congressman. Isn't today a good day to just say, Congratz!