2010 Utah Senate race heats up
By Steve Pierce - 8 Jun 2009
BYU Newsnet
Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah
The race for Utah Sen. Bob Bennett’s seat is heating up with challengers from both sides of the aisle throwing their hats in the ring, even though the election is still 15 months away.
Bennett will likely be joined by at least two others in the Republican primary, with both state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and former U.S. House of Representatives candidate Tim Bridgewater recently announcing their intentions. Both candidates have indicated they will run to the right of the incumbent politically, painting Bennett as a “Washington insider.”
“It is true that in Washington, seniority matters,” Shurtleff said in a speech announcing his candidacy in May. “But not if that seniority is taking us in the wrong direction. More of the wrong medicine never cured anybody.”
Mike Squires, a junior from Murray, and chairman of the BYU College Republicans, currently serves as Shurtleff’s state intern coordinator. He said he supports the attorney general because he has become disillusioned with Washington politics.
“I prefer Mark Shurtleff to Senator Bennett because he is pragmatic,” he said. “Most importantly, [he] shares my belief that government’s power comes from the people, and that we the people should not have our lives run by the government. He supports smaller government [and] is fed up with the corruption that goes on in Washington.”
BYU political science professor and Utah County Democratic Party chairman Richard Davis said he thinks the “outsider” strategy is a smart one for the challengers.
“The incumbent usually has the inside track in a re-nomination,” he said. Political parties typically are loath to abandon an incumbent who has won successfully in the past. However, the Utah Republican Party has grown increasingly disenchanted with Bennett. He’s not quite conservative enough for the extreme right that now dominates the [party], so he is vulnerable.”
Yet Davis said he believes the high number of candidates amassing in the Republican primary could potentially hurt the party, ultimately benefiting Democrats.
“All of these candidates have potential weaknesses that would make them attractive to run against,” he said. “The whole process of a highly contested [primary] race will make the winner potentially weak going into the general election. Next year promises to be a very good year for Democrats in Utah.”
Only Salt Lake businessman Sam Granato has publicly declared his candidacy on the Democratic side. Despite the one-sided nature of recent Utah political contests, many — including some Republicans — believe Granato may have a fighting chance in 2010.
Jess Jones, a junior from Kearns and vice-chairman of the College Republicans, said he is impressed with Granato’s small business credentials and thinks he could be a formidable candidate.
“I’m impressed by Sam’s background as a small business owner,” he said. “This alone gives him an edge because he is coming from the trenches of the business sector in Utah. I feel that there is a general distaste for the current senators because of the length of time that they’ve spent in office. Any candidate, red or blue, that offers ideas that reflect the current public opinion has a legitimate shot at winning [in 2010].”
Yet Davis, the Democratic county party chair, feels Granato might not be alone in next year’s primary.
“Mr. Granato does have experience as a successful businessman and community activist,” he said. “However, there are others who may jump into the race because of the weakness of the Republican side. This is shaping up to be a very interesting year.”
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