This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Early results from the state Republican Convention today are in for some of the fiercest battles for seats in the Utah Legislature.
Winners in two congressional contests won't be announced until later as some 3,500 delegates meet in Sandy.
In the most closely watched race on Utah's Capitol Hill, longtime Sen. Howard Stephenson trounced challenging Rep. Dave Hogue. The race for Senate District 11, straddling the Salt Lake-Utah county line was seen as a referendum of sorts on public versus. private education.
Stephenson is a strong supporter of tax vouchers for private school students, while Hogue has been a reliable vote for keeping tax money reserved solely for public schools. In fact, he suggested giving $70 million more to education instead of using it for a tax cut.
The pro-education message didn't go over too well among conservative delegates, who gave Stephenson 77 percent of the vote.
To the north, State Sen. Dave Thomas of South Weber had more trouble with his challenger: Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner. Neither candidate got 60 percent of the delegate vote, so the battle for the Republican nomination in Senate District 18 will go to a June 27 primary run-off.
Also headed to a primary are former state Judge Kay L. McIff and Gordon Topham. The two Republicans are vying for southern Utah's House District 70, which is being vacated this year by retiring Rep. Brad Johnson.
But there will be no prolonged GOP fight in west Salt Lake County's District 12, where Christy Achziger knocked off two other challengers, including former Democratic Rep. Dan Tuttle for the nomination. Achziger now goes up against Democratic Sen. Brent Goodfellow of West Valley in November's final election.
The intra-party battle also is over in Senate District 24. Current Sen. Darin Peterson, of Nephi, convincingly fended off Republican opponents Jay Collier and Ryan Smith.
And in House District 68, incumbent Rep. Richard Wheeler, of Ephraim, beat challenger Glen Lee Morris.