As Friday's filing deadline passed, three conservatives lined up to challenge two-term Chairman Joe Cannon at the Aug. 27 organizing convention. Former Congresswoman Enid Greene, the vice chairwoman, faces two challengers. And Secretary Candace Daly also will have an opponent.

"There will be a few candidates," party director Spencer Jenkins said, in an understatement.

After several years of unusual preferential balloting, the candidates will face off in a series of ballots circulated among 2,000 delegates who will gather at Salt Lake Community College's Redwood campus.

Cannon is running for a third term. Light rail opponent Drew Chamberlain, one-time 3rd Congressional District candidate Jeremy Friedbaum and Salt Lake County resident Patrick Reagan will try to bump him out.

Friedbaum says he is running because the state party has strayed too far from conservative principles and rank-and-file party members, only supporting wealthy candidates with moderate views.

"I feel the Republican leadership would sometimes rather have even a Democrat like [2nd District Congressman] Jim Matheson in office than an independent conservative like Merrill Cook who they can't really control," Friedbaum said.

Davis County Party Chairman Todd Weiler, a former Woods Cross city councilman, and Box Elder County resident David Spackman will challenge former Congresswoman Greene, who is trying for a second term after running unsuccessfully as running mate to gubernatorial candidate Nolan Karras.

Weiler says his candidacy is not an indictment of Greene. He simply wants to have a role in the state party - specifically, in defeating Matheson. "There's a series of unfortunate circumstances that have resulted in Jim Matheson becoming a three-term congressman," Weiler said. "I don't believe he is representative of his district or that he is undefeatable if the Republican Party can get the right candidate with the right amount of financing."

GOP leadership races

l Chairman

l Incumbent: Joe Cannon

l Challengers: Drew Chamberlain, Jeremy Friedbaum and Patrick Reagan

l Vice Chairman

l Incumbent: Enid Greene

l Challengers: David Spackman and Todd Weiler

l Secretary

l Incumbent: Candace Daly

l Challenger: Lowell Nelson