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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Two Utah lawmakers seeking re-election were bounced by party conventions.
Rep. Aaron Tilton of Springville was upset at the Utah County Republican convention by former Mapleton City Councilman Francis Gibson, who won 60.8 percent of the district's delegate vote.
Salt Lake County Democrats, meanwhile, ousted Sen. Fred Fife in favor of newcomer Luz Robles in a west-side Salt Lake City district.
The party conventions were held Saturday. Most incumbents held onto their party endorsements.
Tilton worked to get the state to recognize nuclear power as an energy option, then revealed he was involved in a business venture to build Utah's first nuclear plant.
U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, says Tilton angered other voters in Mapleton by backing a developer's plan to build homes on 120 acres of open mountain bench land.
"There's some serious antagonism in Mapleton over land-use issues," Cannon told The Salt Lake Tribune.
Salt Lake County Democrats, meanwhile, nominated newcomer Luz Robles to replace Sen. Fred Fife in a west-side Salt Lake City district.
Robles says she outworked Fife and has raised $28,000 for her campaign.
The party conventions were held Saturday. Most incumbents held onto their party endorsements.
As recently as last week, Tilton was defending himself against charges he had a conflict of interest on nuclear power.
Tilton said there was no conflict because his business plan, if approved, would be funded entirely by private investors and would not involve the regulated utilities overseen by his legislative committee.
Other incumbents in Utah County were cleared to go to the final election -- and are likely to win, based on the county's heavy Republican bent.
They include Senate Majority Leader Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, and Reps. Michael Morley, R-Spanish Fork, Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, and Chris Herrod, R-Provo.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
