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Dave Hogue is distancing himself from the Republican Party after being a registered member for 47 years because the party has moved away from him and - he says - from most Utahns.
The 10-year Republican lawmaker, who left his House seat in 2006 for an unsuccessful bid for state Senate, is running again, this time as a Democrat.
"The purpose of the Legislature is to represent the people," Hogue said. "I've been disappointed in the way the Republican leadership has steered and guided legislation that is going away from citizens' rights."
Among his biggest gripes: the school voucher law that was soundly defeated by voters in last November's referen- dum.
He's not alone.
Several Democrats - and some Republicans - who filed as candidates by Monday's deadline, say they are running because the current Legislature isn't listening to its constituents and cite vouchers as exhibit A.
"Republican legislators voted wrongly and never thought they'd have to answer for it, but in November they will have to answer," State Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland said.
But Republicans, who rule Utah's Capitol Hill with a two-thirds majority, say Democrats are being swept up in a wave of wishful thinking.
The voucher issue is "not going to have much impact except for the zealots," predicts Rep. Greg Hughes, leader of the House Conservative Caucus.
"We've seen a billion dollars in new money for public education over the last few sessions, and it's difficult to make the argument that [vouchers] are the clarion call in our races," Hughes said.
House Speaker Greg Curtis, who narrowly won re-election in 2006, said it is a weak campaign that hinges on a single issue.
"My wife and I disagree more than that," Curtis said. "I don't see [anti-voucher] as being all that compelling of a message. Maybe time will tell."
Despite Democrats' excitement in some races, they left some prominent Republican lawmakers unopposed, including Senate President John Valentine, of Orem, and House Majority Leader Dave Clark, of Santa Clara.
"I guess it's the dream of every candidate to run unopposed, but I was surprised," Valentine said.
Far from seeing a disconnect between the Legislature and Utah residents, he credits his free ride to paying careful attention to the people in his district.
Elsewhere, though, Democrats believe this could be a breakthrough election.
Lisa Johnson, who was the spokeswoman for the anti-voucher group Utahns for Public Schools, says Democrats plans to highlight lawmakers' stands for vouchers and against ethics reform.
"People have not felt a connection to their representatives," said Johnson, who is challenging Hughes in the Draper-Sandy area. "But with vouchers, people got involved in a way they hadn't gotten involved in before. They realized their views weren't being respected."
Ronda Rose, a Republican who is running against longtime Republican Sen. Mike Waddoups in Senate District 6, said his strong support of vouchers was one of many reasons she jumped in.
Waddoups doesn't seem worried.
"Vouchers will not be an issue in anyone's political future" because the people already had their say, he said. He is more focused on roads, health care, higher education, immigration and corrections - things residents care about going forward.
In some crowded races, it was an open seat - rather than a political issue - that proved irresistible.
Davis County's Senate District 10, being vacated by Sen. Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful, has no fewer than 10 candidates. House District 54, left open by the retirement of House Majority Whip Gordon Snow, has seven candidates. Six hopefuls filed for House District 45, with Rep. Mark Walker's decision to run for state Treasurer and five threw their hats in in District 46, left open by Rep. Karen Morgan, who is running for the Senate.
Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, is running for re-election. But he faces no fewer than six challengers, including three Republicans, following his racially charged comments during the recent lawmaking session.