"It is my intention to call a special session very shortly after the election," Huntsman said Monday, "no matter who takes the House."

Huntsman says he has consulted with legislative leaders, and he anticipates the map the Legislature adopts will be similar to a four-seat map he proposed in September, with some minor changes.

"I have a high degree of certitude that there's a political will to get this done," Huntsman said.

There have been some rumblings that a Democratic takeover of either chamber could be a setback for Utah's fourth seat, with Democratic leaders preferring to put off the issue until they take control next year.

But Ilir Zherka, executive director of the group D.C. Vote, said that supporters of giving the District of Columbia its first voting member and balancing that with a new House seat for Utah are "100 percent focused on enacting the bill" during the lame-duck session before the end of the year.

"Our view is that, having gone this far with all this momentum . . . we don't want to re-create the wheel next session," Zherka said.

If Utah's Legislature adopts a four-seat map, Zherka said, there is a good chance to get the bill through Congress by the end of the year, whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge.

"In either scenario there is a very strong argument to be made - and we've been making it and we'll make it in November as well - a strong argument to be made for getting this done now, because it can be done now and the future is just uncertain," he said. "The only question right now is, 'Can Utah adopt this map and will the markup occur?' "

David Marin, spokesman for Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the sponsor of the bill, said the congressman will "continue pushing this legislation in November, December, and on into 2007, whether he's chairman or ranking member."

"We've succeeded in getting a lot of members from both sides of the aisle on board, and that's been a key part of Davis' strategy. Regardless of who's in the majority, he's moved the ball down the field in a way that all but assures continued momentum."

However, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said Monday that his instinct tells him Utah's fourth seat is dead.

He compared it to the carnival game "Whack-a-Mole," since every time one group's concern is ironed out, another objection pops up from someone new.

The key, he said, will be getting the wholehearted support of Rep. Jim Matheson, R-Utah, the state's only Democratic representative, who has so far not endorsed the proposed map, saying politicians shouldn't be deciding boundaries and essentially picking their voters.

"Until Jim Matheson pronounces himself fully satisfied with the map, Democrats will be less than enthusiastic about moving forward," Bennett said.

Matheson's spokeswoman, Alyson Heyrend, said he "supports and will vote for and will advocate for any bill that comes to the House floor that gives Utah a fourth seat," and has expressed that to leaders in both parties.

gehrke@sltrib.com,

tburr@sltrib.com