This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the nation's biggest tea party groups has already launched a Retire Hatch campaign meant to oust Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2012. The only problem: They have no actual challenger.But D.C.-based FreedomWorks attempted to coax Utah State Sen. Dan Liljenquist into the race on Friday by naming him its "Legislative Entrepreneur of the Year."Liljenquist was already in D.C. to accept a "Public Official of the Year" award from Governing Magazine and to meet with officials at FreedomWorks as he continues to plan for a possible run against Hatch, a six term senator.FreedomWorks had previously leaned heavily on Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who was expected to challenge Hatch. When Chaffetz decided against a Senate run, the tea party group has retrained their sights on Liljenquist, who is expected to make a decision early next year.— Matt CanhamTwitter.com/mattcanham