Linda Housekeeper, who narrowly lost to incumbent Rep. Bradley Daw in the House District 60 race, sent her challenge to county party leaders Tuesday by registered mail.

Part of Housekeeper's protest deals with the county's ex-officio delegate policy, where party officials and elected officeholders automatically serve as delegates at county and state conventions.

"The state [party] constitution and bylaws do not authorize ex-officios," Housekeeper said. "They're not legal at all."

Housekeeper also contests how three replacement delegates got appointed in her district, saying she was told there was no cut-off date for submission of names, then being told that two names would be rejected because they came in after the deadline.

"A vacancy can be filled by the precinct chair right up to the morning of the convention," Housekeeper said. "There are no party police - that's the problem."

A switch of a single delegate vote would have denied Daw the 60 percent majority needed to avoid a June primary.

"We haven't had a challenge of this type before," said Utah County GOP Chairwoman Marian Monnahan. "We'll hold a meeting and hear her complaint if that's what she wants."

Monnahan maintained that ex-officio delegates have been in the county bylaws forever.

"When you're an ex-officio, you're elected in some form," she said in defense of the practice.

The county party is strong because of that tie between elected officials and the party officers, Monnahan added.

"We stay close to our elected officials. We know what they're thinking, they know what we're thinking."

Nancy Lord, Utah's Republican national committeewoman, has researched party policy for over a decade and sides with Housekeeper.

A mid-1990 U.S. Supreme Court ruling shifted the power to dictate political party policy from state government to the political parties.

"Changes were made then - away from the grass roots - to give party leaders and elected officials a greater say," Lord said.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com