Former Mapleton City Councilman Francis Gibson gained 60.8 percent of the vote to edge out two-term Rep. Aaron Tilton, who recently had gone on the defensive against conflict-of-interest allegations involving his proposal to build nuclear power plants in Utah.
"I'm very excited . . . and also awestruck with the amount of support I had," said Gibson. "This election today was not a me election, it was a we election. The people of our district wanted a change."
However, in eight other races, delegates favored the status quo by giving incumbents at least 60 percent of the vote, thus avoiding a June primary.
Tilton, who could not be reached for comment, was the high-profile House sponsor of a 2007 law aimed at restricting participation in gay student clubs. More recently, he came under fire for a perceived conflict of interest. He serves on the Legislature's Public Utilities committee and also heads up Transition Power Development, LLC, a company seeking to build nuclear power plants in Utah.
He also angered Mapleton residents who objected to bills he sponsored to benefit Mapleton radiologist Wendell Gibby, who plans to build homes on 120 acres of bench land zoned as environmentally critical.
"There's some serious antagonism in Mapleton over land-use issues," said Republican Congressman Chris Cannon, a Mapleton resident who serves as an automatic delegate due to his elected office.
Cannon suspects that other factors, including the recent flap over Tilton's nuclear power plant plans likely did some damage.
"The state Legislature could be more open about sources of income and avoid that problem," Cannon said.
Tilton defended himself on his web site and in an opinion piece published in the Provo Daily Herald, saying the conflict-of-interest charges were untrue and "whether maliciously or out of ignorance" were aimed at turning voters against him.
Tilton says there was no conflict because his business plan, if approved, would be funded entirely by private investors and would not involve the regulated utilities overseen by his committee.
Gibson conducted a rigorous campaign, said Marian Monnahan, who chairs the county Republicans. Only two votes pushed him beyond the 60 percent mark.
Rep. Michael Morley, R-Spanish Fork, who seeks a fourth term, raked in 82 percent of the vote in spite of a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission over a $3 million hedge-fund investment.
Party leaders muzzled Morley's opponent, Chance Williams, every time he attempted to bring up the charge and Saturday's convention was no different, despite Williams citing a section of Utah Code that encourages candidates to voice frank and fearless criticism.
Senate Majority Leader Curtis Bramble overcame a spirited challenge from Jacqueline deGaston and James O'Neal, netting 67 percent of the vote.
Provo delegate Roger Nielsen cast his vote for Bramble.
"He's got his head on straight and I feel like a change right now wouldn't be good for the state," Nielsen said.
Russell Carr, also a Provo delegate, gave deGaston his vote.
"I wanted to see a primary run-off to let the voters decide," Carr said.
