This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
> Should Rep. Jason Chaffetz win re-election next week, and 99.9 percent of bets are saying he will, he could be on a short list to take over as head of the House Republican Conference, Politico reported Friday. The job, currently held by Indiana GOPer Mike Pence, is essentially to be the Republican House members' messaging guru — appearing on television, becoming the image of House Republican causes and offering criticism of that other party.
Chaffetz, who would be a congressional sophomore come January, says he's focused on Tuesday's general election and not on leadership elections but he doesn't deny he's interested.
"My name is being thrown around and it's very flattering," he said. "It's rare that a sophomore could do that. We'll see what happens."
Pence, a tea party darling, may not seek the job again as he looks at other options, but Chaffetz also faces two other Republicans, according to the Politico story: Reps. Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington.
— Thomas BurrTwitter.com/thomaswburr