REALTORS® CONSOLIDATE STRENGTH IN THE UTAH LEGISLATURE
by J. Robert Latham, J.D., UAR Director of Government Affairs

Not much changed in the composition of the Utah Legislature as a result of the 1998 general election. However, during the election season the Utah Association of REALTORS® forged new relationships with some incoming and previously overlooked legislators. As a result of our efforts, more legislators now know that they can look to REALTORS® for guidance on issues affecting private property and the real estate industry.

All UAR-backed candidates for federal office easily won re-election.

Of the 71 state senate and house candidates supported by the UAR, only nine of those candidates lost (and in two of those losses, the Utah REALTOR® Political Action Committee Trustees voted to support the winning candidate as well). UAR-backed candidates won 92% or 54 of 59 races in the Utah House of Representatives, and 83% or 10 of 12 races in the Utah Senate.

Also of note were the two narrow victories by candidates backed by the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS® in the races for Salt Lake County Commission. Both incumbent Mary Callaghan (51-49) and newcomer Mark Shurtleff (51-46) won their contests. In addition, Salt Lake County voters approved a proposition to change the county government from a commission form to a mayor-council form, so Callaghan and Shurtleff will serve only two-year terms.

Senator Robert F. Bennett easily won re-election, as did Representatives James V. Hansen, Merrill Cook, and Chris Cannon. Several volunteers from the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS® made calls on behalf of Rep. Cook on Election Day to help him prevail in Utah’s closest congressional race.

Democrats picked up two seats in the state senate, giving them 11 seats to the Republicans’ 18.

The biggest upset of the night was the defeat in Senate District 7 of incumbent David Buhler (R-Salt Lake) by Karen Hale. Four years ago, Sen. Buhler won the seat in a 57-41 contest. Hale won this year’s most expensive state senate race, 50-47.

In what was predicted to be a close race, Edgar Allen upset incumbent Nathan Tanner (R-Ogden) 53-47 in Senate District 18.

Newcomer Ron Allen (D-Salt Lake, Tooele) narrowly defeated former legislator Merrill Nelson by 44 votes in Senate District 13.

Newcomers Parley Hellewell (R-Utah) and Terry Spencer (R-Davis) will join two representatives moving into the state senate, Peter Knudson (R-Box Elder, Cache) and Beverly Evans (R-Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Summit, Uintah, Wasatch).

UAR-supported winning candidates: Paula Julander (D-Salt Lake, S1), Howard Stephenson (R-Salt Lake, Utah, S4), Steven Poulton (R-Salt Lake, S9), Al Mansell (R-Salt Lake, S10), Ed Mayne (D-Salt Lake, S11), Ron Allen (D-Salt Lake, Tooele, S13), Parley Hellewell (R-Utah, S15), Terry Spencer (R-Davis, S22), Peter Knudson (R-Box Elder, Cache, S24), and Beverly Evans (R-Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Summit, Uintah, Wasatch, S26).

UAR-supported losing candidates: David Buhler (R-Salt Lake, S7) and Nathan Tanner (R-Davis, Weber, S18).

State representative Gene Davis (D-Salt Lake, S3) was elected and Millie Peterson (D-Salt Lake, S12) and David Steele (R-Davis, S21) were re-elected to the state senate, but did not receive UAR support.

Democrats picked up one seat in the Utah House of Representatives, giving them 21 seats to the Republicans’ 54.

The only upset of the night was Karen Morgan’s defeat of incumbent Brian Allen in House District 46. Four years ago, Rep. Allen won the seat in a 54-43 contest. Morgan defeated Allen by 102 votes.

House newcomers supported by the UAR are: Ben Ferry (R-Box Elder, H2), Jackie Biskupski (D-Salt Lake, H30), Kory Holdaway (R-Salt Lake, H34), Chad Bennion (R-Salt Lake, H44), and Gordon Snow (R-Duchesne, Wasatch, H54).

UAR-supported winning incumbents: Eli Anderson (R-Box Elder, Cache, Tooele, H1), Loraine Pace (R-Cache, Rich, H4), Evan Olsen (R-Cache, H5), Marty Stephens (R-Weber, H6), Dave Gladwell (R-Weber, H7), Joe Murray (R-Weber, H8), Carl Saunders (R-Davis, Weber, H11), Gerry Adair (R-Weber, H12), Nora Stephens (R-Davis, H13), Don Bush (R-Davis, H14), Blake Chard (R-Davis, H15), Kevin Garn (R-Davis, H16), Marda Dillree (R-Davis, H17), Susan Koehn (R-Davis, H19), Sheryl Allen (R-Davis, H19), Richard Siddoway (R-Davis, H20), James Gowans (D-Tooele, H21), Ralph Becker (D-Salt Lake, H24), Dave Jones (D-Salt Lake, H25), Mary Carlson (D-Salt Lake, H31), Ron Bigelow (R-Salt Lake, H32), Judy Buffmire (D-Salt Lake, H35), Lamont Tyler (R-Salt Lake, H36), Ray Short (R-Salt Lake, H37), Wayne Harper (R-Salt Lake, H43), Mel Brown (R-Salt Lake, H45), Bryan Holladay (R-Salt Lake, H47), Trisha Beck (D-Salt Lake, H48), Greg Curtis (R-Salt Lake, H49), Lloyd Frandsen (R-Salt Lake, H50), John Swallow (R-Salt Lake, H51), Dave Hogue (R-Salt Lake, H52), David Ure (R-Morgan, Rich, Summit, H53), Jack Seitz (R-Daggett, Uintah, H55), Lowell Nelson (R-Utah, H57), John Valentine (R-Utah, H58), Tammy Rowan (R-Utah, H59), Katherine Bryson (R-Utah, H60), Margaret Dayton (R-Utah, H61), Jordan Tanner (R-Utah, H63), Glenn Way (R-Utah, H66), Bill Wright (R-Juab, Sanpete, Utah, H67), Michael Styler (R-Millard, Sanpete, H68), Keele Johnson (R-Emery, Grand, San Juan, H71), DeMar "Bud" Bowman (R-Beaver, Iron, H72), and Tom Hatch (R-Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sevier, Washington, Wayne, H73).

UAR-supported losing candidates: Doug Wight (D-Box Elder, H2), Robert Miles (R-Weber, H9), Bill Turner (R-Weber, H10), Dan Cripps (R-Salt Lake, H22), Rob Latham (R-Salt Lake, H25), Jerold Jensen (D-Salt Lake, H40), and Brian Allen (R-Salt Lake, H46).

Newcomers who were elected but did not receive UAR support are: Neil Hansen (D-Weber, H9), Lawanna "Lou" Shurtliff (D-Weber, H10), Carl Duckworth (D-Salt Lake, H22), Fred Fife, III (D-Salt Lake, H26), Karen Morgan (D-Salt Lake, H46), David Cox (R-Utah, H56), Becky Lockhart (R-Utah, H64), and Matt Throckmorton (R-Utah, H65).

Incumbents who were re-elected but did not receive UAR support are: Duane Bourdeaux (D-Salt Lake, H23), Loretta Baca (D-Salt Lake, H27), Afton Bradshaw (R-Salt Lake, H28), Brent Goodfellow (D-Salt Lake, H29), Neal Hendrickson (D-Salt Lake, H33), Richard Walsh (R-Salt Lake, H40), Patrice Arent (D-Salt Lake, H41), Perry Buckner (D-Salt Lake, H42), Jeff Alexander (R-Utah, H62), Brad King (D-Carbon, Emery, H69), Brad Johnson (R-Emery, Grand, San Juan, H70), Dennis Iverson (R-Washington, H74), and J.W. "Bill" Hickman (R-Washington, H75).

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