Sandy • It probably wouldn't have surprised cynics to learn that a veteran legislator, with key powers in redrawing state election boundaries, had cut himself a personal break.

But Rep. Todd Kiser, a member of Utah's Redistricting Committee, appears to have done just the opposite in overhauling legislative districts in the southeast corner of Salt Lake County.

The Sandy Republican lumped himself into a potential re-election fight against fellow GOP incumbent Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, in reshaping his own District 41 and others in Utah's most-populous county. With neither lawmaker wanting to retire, the two likely will find themselves facing off next year in the party's convention, or even a Republican primary.

"Todd saw this political train wreck coming," said Rep. Derek Brown, a first-term Republican from nearby Cottonwood Heights. "Instead of getting out of the way, he put himself in front of the train. That says a lot about him."

Kiser downplayed the decision.

"It was not noble," he said. "It was the responsible thing to do."

Although Christensen disagrees on principle with how redistricting was done — namely the idea of emphasizing city and school district lines when drawing districts for a statewide body — he said he has come to terms with running against Kiser.

"For me, it's about serving, not just getting elected," he said. "I am just thrilled at the opportunity to get out there and get to know people. … And when the time comes, if I'm fortunate enough to serve again, I'll never stop serving the people that were in District 48 but won't be anymore."

Earlier this month, members of the Utah House of Representatives voted 74-1 to approve the final map of their new districts, after considering six sets of revisions. Many lawmakers say a hard-won consensus over those changes — which came after more than six months of hearings and debate — has been overlooked in the ongoing rancor over Utah's congressional maps.

Change was unavoidable. The 2010 Census revealed that Salt Lake County cities had experienced widely different growth rates during the previous decade. Cities such as Herriman, Holladay, South Jordan, Draper and Bluffdale had made substantial population gains, while burbs such as Sandy and White City had declined.

In essence, county population shifted westward. The four House districts representing Sandy, Midvale, Draper and Cottonwood Heights, plus Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, needed to find more constituents. Among them, Districts 45, 46, 48 and 49 were short 34,000 people.

With the help of fellow Rep. Merlynn Newbold, R-South Jordan, Kiser shepherded the process of redrawing those boundaries with an eye on keeping the communities of interest — such as cities and school districts — intact, as much as possible.

It quickly became clear, Kiser said, that some Republican incumbents would have to be put in the same districts.

"It was a very difficult decision to put anyone else in that position," said Kiser, an insurance executive elected to the House in 2002. "In fairness, I thought it should be me. I hate it. I don't like it. Do I just evaporate and say I have to retire because of population shifts? I don't want to retire.

"Doing the responsible thing may mean that I can't get re-elected," Kiser added. "If that's the case, that's the case."

Christensen, a Draper attorney, lobbied hard to change the outcome in a series of meetings, colleagues said. Partly at his urging, the district's boundaries shifted southward, adding more constituents from his existing District 48.

Christensen, who has won three elections, beginning in 2002, said he disagrees constitutionally with the notion of favoring county, city and school district lines when drawing districts for the Legislature, a statewide body.

He noted that state Senate districts cross county boundaries, as do House seats elsewhere in the state.

"I would have done it differently," he said. "It's not a city council seat and not a county council seat. It's a House of Representatives seat."

But Christensen insists he has emerged from the House redistricting debate in full support of the process and that he and Kiser accept the prospect of having to run against one another.

The new House districts in southeast Salt Lake County could create a challenging political landscape for those involved, incumbents said. The districts have seesawed between Democratic and Republican majorities. Moving constituents between them will require candidates to rebuild name recognition and a bond with voters.

"We'll all have to campaign harder to get re-elected," said Rep. Steven Eliason, R-Sandy, whose District 45 covers portions of Sandy, Cottonwood Heights and Midvale. Though his district boundaries moved, Eliason said, "If somebody sat down and looked at the lines, they're just a lot cleaner.''

"It's still a big swing district," he added.

Several incumbents said they expect to spend more in their 2012 campaigns. In the case of Kiser and Christensen, both will compete for funds from Republican sources. Incumbents said they also expect to devote more time to basic canvassing tactics such as going door to door in their districts.

tsemerad@sltrib.com