The exchange gave Springmeyer perhaps his best, highest profile chance to spar with the governor, and they did draw some distinctions in the half-hour discussion on KSL-TV.

The candidates agreed that ethics reform is needed, and Springmeyer said he wants to create an independent panel of five judges to hear ethics complaints. Both also said they would support the creation of an independent commission to re-draw political boundaries after the 2010 Census.

Huntsman said he called for ethics reform when he was first running in 2004, part of a package aimed at increasing public trust in politics that has met mixed results in the Legislature.

On health care, Springmeyer said the state is not putting enough resources into covering children, and missing out on federal matching money. That would be his first step to expand coverage, he said.

"I think it's a bite we can take on, it's something we can chew, I think it's realistic," he said.

Huntsman said the state has removed the cap on the number of children that can be enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program, and he hopes a legislative task force delivers broader recommendations for delivering health coverage.

Springmeyer said that the income tax reform that Huntsman supported in 2007 meant a tax cut for the wealthiest in the state, costing public education $220 million. He said he would work to rescind those changes if he's elected.

Huntsman cited a University of Utah study that said the new system is slightly more progressive than the old one, and argued the changes to tax policy have helped the state stay competitive and build the economy.