Maneuvering begins amid shock waves from Killpack resignation


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SALT LAKE CITY -- Political shock waves are reverberating from Saturday's sudden resignation of the state Senate majority leader, just a week before the annual session of the Legislature.

Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, quit because of his arrest Friday for drunken driving. Over the weekend, candidates started coming out of the woodwork to fill two key positions he's letting go.

"It's gone from shocking to just unbelievable to very, very intense," says Dave Hansen, chairman of the Utah Republican Party.

To some of his associates, Killpack's resignation is a relief because his DUI arrest might have hung as a messy dark cloud over the upcoming session. But many are shocked because Killpack was a crusader for tougher DUI laws. His own father was killed by a drunk driver.

Utah MADD President Art Brown worked closely with Killpack in the fight against drunk driving
Utah MADD President Art Brown worked closely with Killpack in the fight against drunk driving

MADD President Art Brown says Killpack has been a strong ally in the fight against a problem that claims 50 lives a year in Utah. "He's just been terrific over the years in supporting tough legislation for DUI crime," Brown says.

Now that Killpack himself has been arrested, Brown is shocked to lose such a powerful voice in the Legislature. "And I think he made a statement about how important drunk driving is by resigning," Brown says.

Kirk Jowers of the Hinckley Institute of Politics predicts ripple effects from a majority leader's resignation so close to a legislative session.

"It could cause some chaos," Jowers says. "This will be a test for [Senate] President [Michael] Waddoups to see how he can distribute those responsibilities and perhaps take more leadership himself. If he doesn't, then it will be very difficult to herd these cats."

Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen
Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen

Two races to replace Killpack have already begun. On Wednesday, Senate Republicans will choose a new majority leader. Former Utah Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble is considered the front-runner.

Meanwhile, Davis County Republicans are scrambling to organize an emergency convention next Saturday to choose a new senator for District 21. "Delegates are the ones that were elected two years ago at the March party caucuses," Hansen says.

Three candidates emerged this weekend -- state Reps. Paul Ray and Curtis Oda, both Republicans from Clearfield, and former Layton Mayor Jerry Stevenson.

With the legislative session looming, the state party chairman admires Killpack for quickly deciding to resign. "He would have been the focus," Hansen says, "and the issue would have been the focus of the legislative session."

It won't surprise anyone if more candidates come out of the woodwork for the Senate seat that's up for grabs. They'll take nominations all week and even next Saturday from the floor of the convention.

Whoever gets more than 50 percent of the delegates' votes gets the job. The governor must formally appoint Killpack's replacement, but his approval of the delegates' choice is considered a virtual certainty.

E-mail: hollenhorst@ksl.com

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