McCoy sent an email to hundreds of state delegates, informing them that Orton had endorsed McCoy's opponent, Joe Jarvis, when McCoy ran for election in 2006.

"Because Bill Orton endorsed my Republican opponent in my Senate race, I don't think he deserves to be our Democratic National Committeeman any longer. On this, I hope you will agree too," McCoy wrote in his e-mail.

McCoy said the issue is not about settling old scores, but sharing information with delegates that might be relevant as they decide whom to support.

"I think our elected partisan party leaders either need to not say anything at all, or they need to support our Democratic candidates," said McCoy.

Orton said Jarvis is a longtime family friend and volunteered on his gubernatorial campaign in 2000.

"My endorsement of my friend . . . didn't cost Scott McCoy any votes. But if I had abandoned my friend after he had asked me to help him out, I very well could have lost a close friend," Orton said.

Orton said it will be up to delegates to decide if that factors into his candidacy for national committeeman, a role in which he helps set policy for the national Democratic Party. But he has worked to get Democrats elected for 20 years and ran for Congress and governor when nobody else would.

"I'm very proud of that record I have in helping the party and helping Democrats," Orton said.

Orton also points out that McCoy backed a member of the gay Log Cabin Republicans in a Salt Lake City Council race. The council races are officially non-partisan.

McCoy is backing Salt Lake County Councilman Joe Hatch in the national committee race.