This may be what Charlie Cook had in mind last month:
David Leavitt, the former Juab County attorney best known for his successful prosecution of polygamist Tom Green, has been telling folks at the various Republican Party’s Lincoln Day dinners this month that he plans to run for the Senate next year. That is a direct challenge to the incumbent Bennett, who will be seeking his fourth term.
David Leavitt, the brother of former Utah Gov. and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, ran for Congress last year, but was defeated at the State Republican Convention by then-incumbent Chris Cannon and eventual winner Jason Chaffetz. Earlier, David Leavitt was defeated in his bid for re-election as Juab County attorney.
Other Republicans mentioned as possible challengers to Bennett include Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Mike Lee, former counsel to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
(Hat-tip: The Hill)
IIRC in Utah you have to qualify for the Primary at a convention. You have to get something like 40% (I think) of the convention vote in order to qualify for the Primary.
We’re in much better shape to take advantage of a Republican civil war and batshit crazy far right insurgency in almost every other race that plausibly fits Cook’s description (Isaakson, Grassley, McCain, Burr). Sorry to be pessimistic, but I do not see us winning a Utah Senate race in 2010, even against a weak Republican. Given that, I’d rather have Bennett who is about as good as we could hope for from Utah.
The name Leavitt carries a lot of weight in Utah. My money would be on Bennett but it would be a hard fought primary.
Are there any Democrats in Utah?
has so many comments to topics about Utah and Wyoming?
This is awesome. 😀
So that makes this guy something like my fifth cousin once removed. The Leavitts were in Illinois around the time of the Civil War. The sane ones went on to Nebraska (and then Oregon). The crazy ones went to Utah.