This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2004, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Major races in the Utah election are shaping up pretty much as political pundits predicted months ago, with Republicans dominating at almost every level. But there still could be a few surprises in store.
Who could have guessed that the Salt Lake County mayor's race would have exploded into the kind of scandal-laden, court-driven soap opera that it has become? The spectacle has sucked most of the oxygen out of other high-profile races, leading up to a climax that remains very much up in the air.
Democrat Peter Corroon, Republican Ellis Ivory and independent Merrill Cook are scrambling to replace Mayor Nancy Workman, who is on leave pending disposition of felony misuse of public funds charges.
Then there is the gutter-ball politics of the 2nd Congressional District, where weeks of negative ads have transformed the yawning gap between two-term Democrat Jim Matheson and Republican John Swallow into a close race, in what could be a repeat of two years ago. Matheson beat Swallow then by just 1,600 votes - or less than 1 percent of the votes cast.
Undecided voters going into the last few days of the election also will make the difference on the citizens' initiative to increase the sales tax an average of $14 annually per family to spend $150 million preserving open space, parks and trails.
In the Utah governor's race, Republican Jon Huntsman Jr. and Democrat Scott Matheson Jr. have been battling hard to be the first new occupant elected to the office in 12 years. Gov. Olene Walker, the lieutenant governor under Mike Leavitt for 11 years, ascended to the top spot one year ago when Leavitt resigned to become head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Huntsman and Matheson both enjoy widespread name recognition because of their prominent fathers: industrialist-philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. and the late former Gov. Scott M. Matheson.
Republicans for months have been encouraging people to "get used to the words 'Gov. Huntsman.' " Independent polls have always placed the Republican as the front-runner, but Democrats still believe they are within striking range.
The top-of-the-ticket presidential contest, obviously, is the most closely watched nationally, where the narrow margin has some worried there could be a repeat of 2000, when 537 votes decided the entire election, but only after weeks of legal jostling, including a final decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In Utah, though, the outcome of the presidential election is hardly in doubt. Democratic Sen. John Kerry may well receive his lowest percentage of votes in the nation in the Beehive State, as Al Gore did in 2000. President Bush is the overwhelming favorite among Utahns, who have not turned out for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett appears headed to his third six-year term in office despite a spirited but low-budget, low-profile challenge by Democrat Paul Van Dam, the former state attorney general.
Republican U.S. Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop have barely had to lift a finger to hold onto their safe House seats in the 3rd and 1st congressional districts, respectively. Democratic challengers Beau Babka and Steve Thompson have been hamstrung by lack of campaign funds in districts with overwhelming majorities of Republican voters.
In the attorney general's race, Republican first-termer Mark Shurtleff also has enjoyed financial superiority over his Democratic challenger Greg Skordas. Shurtleff even loaned his campaign $50,000 in recent weeks to ensure that he wouldn't be caught flat-footed with any last-minute surge.
Republican state Treasurer Ed Alter is seeking to extend his 24-year tenure another four years against a challenge from Democrat Debbie Hansen. Auditor Auston Johnson, also a Republican, is seeking a third term against Democrat Carlos Vazquez.
Voters will weigh in on three proposed constitutional amendments. Amendment 3, to toughen Utah's existing ban on gay marriage, has hogged most of the attention. Proponents say it is needed to ensure that the state won't be forced to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Opponents say the measure's second part goes too far in restricting the rights of people involved in "domestic unions," and will lead to costly lawsuits.
Amendment 1 would allow legislators to call themselves into special session to impeach a governor or judge. Under current law, only a governor has authority to convene an emergency legislative session. If the chief executive were the target of an impeachment, the call could be dicey.
Amendment 2 would remove the constitutional prohibition on the state lending its credit or subscribing to stock. Proponents say the restriction has raised troublesome questions about the practice of Utah research universities taking part ownership in startup companies developed from technology spinoffs. Opponents argue that state ownership of private business is a dangerous practice that can too easily be abused.
Voters also will be picking state legislators. All 75 state House seats are up for grabs, as well as 15 of the 29 state Senate seats.
Still further down the ballot are "yes" or "no" choices whether to retain judges on the ballot and elections for state school board, local school boards and an array of county offices.
Democratic state Chairman Donald Dunn is optimistic the minority party can capture the Salt Lake County mayor's office, keep Jim Matheson in the 2nd Congressional District seat and make gains in the Utah Legislature.
He also says Scott Matheson remains competitive in the governor's race.
"It would be a great thing to win because that does change things in the state," said Dunn.
If, on the other hand, Republicans win the governor's office, Democrats will just have to keep trying to improve their lot a step at a time.
"We haven't had it in 20 years so we know what that is like," said Dunn. "You can't eat an elephant all at once."
Republican Executive Director Spencer Jenkins said the 2nd District race will go down to the wire, as it did in 2002, and is simply too close to call. But he predicted Ivory will win the mayor's race because "the momentum is now swinging in our favor."
Jenkins said he believes Huntsman will be governor and he sees little change in the makeup of the Legislature, where Republicans hold a three-to-one majority in the Senate and better than two-to-one majority in the House.
In the end, Utah is a reliable Republican state, he said. "Whether it is the culture or something else, we are a pretty homogenous state and people here tend to lean pretty conservative."