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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Three incumbents were dumped at the Utah County Republican convention, and the Salt Lake Republicans forced a primary race on Sheriff Aaron Kennard.
The three ousted in Utah County Saturday were County Attorney Kay Bryson, state Sen. Parley Hellewell and state Rep. Dave Cox.
Bryson was defeated by one of his deputy prosecutors, Jeff Buhman, who got 69 percent of the vote and does not face a Democratic opponent in November.
Buhman has contended that the county attorney's office's reputation and effectiveness declined under Bryson, causing an exodus of prosecutors and damaging relations with police agencies.
Hellewell, who initially said he would not seek re-election and then changed his mind just before the deadline, was defeated by state Rep. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem.
"I'm sure me getting out and then getting back in was, of course, an issue," Hellewell said. "I wasn't going to run because I wanted to do a lot of other things, like run my business. So I guess that's what I'll go do."
Cox, R-Lehi and a teacher, was defeated by Kenneth Sumsion, who had been recruited by the pro-voucher Parents for Choice in Education.
Cox was noted for his attempts to make it easier to split up school districts -- a hot issue in Lehi.
In Salt Lake County, Kennard will face a primary battle against Brent Cardall, a regional administrator of adult probation and parole, who said deputies were suffering fatigue and low morale under Kennard.
Lohra Miller won the party's nomination for Salt Lake County district attorney, outpolling veteran prosecutor Kent Morgan. Miller will face Democrat Sim Gill in November. Incumbent Democrat David Yocom did not seek re-election.
Miller is a partner with her husband in a law firm that provides contract prosecutorial services to Salt Lake County communities, including Taylorsville, Holladay, West Jordan and Cottonwood Heights.
Utah Minuteman Project director Alex Segura was defeated by Pete Moesser for the nomination in state House District 33. Moesser will to face incumbent Democrat Neal Hendrickson of West Valley City.
Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, turned back a bid by Milton Witt, who resigned as Salt Lake County GOP vice chairman to run for the nomination, by a vote of 34 to 9. Holdaway is a teacher. Witt was backed by Parents For Choice in Education.
"People in my district just don't want to see public money going to private schools," Holdaway said.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
