From the
Salt Lake Tribune:
With nearly three decades in the Senate, Hatch is the clear patriarch of Utah Republicans who, in his past five elections, has steamrolled his opponents with ease, drawing more than two-thirds of the vote.
But there remain detractors, some in his own party, who argue he has lost touch with the state. And he angered some die-hard conservatives with his support for embryonic stem cell research and the expanded law enforcement powers in the Patriot Act.
So it is not surprising that, as Hatch prepares to stand for re-election next year, there is a search - as there was in 2000 - for a dark-horse candidate willing to take on the Goliath.
...
Several Republicans have been asked to run, among them state Rep. Steve Urquhart, who says he has heard discontent with Hatch's performance among some state legislators and local officials.
"I am hearing from almost everyone who approaches me that there is concern about his focus," said Urquhart. "There's concern whether he wants to be a senator or something else, be it a musician or Supreme Court justice, and local leaders, we really want two hard-working senators."
Urquhart said there has definitely been "a lot of talk" about finding another Republican to run, and says there's a 50 percent chance a significant challenger will step forward.
...
A poll by The Salt Lake Tribune shows solid - but not necessarily overwhelming - support for electing Hatch to a sixth term, a feat unprecedented in Utah history. The survey found that 42 percent of voting-age Utahns say they support a sixth term for Hatch. Nearly 17 percent would support another Republican candidate.
Just more than one in five would support a Democrat, 4 percent would back an independent and 6 percent would vote for another party.
