June 24 marked the end of an era in Utah politics. It was the day six-term incumbent Congressman Chris Cannon, a Republican, was soundly defeated in a primary election by a political newcomer, Jason Chaffetz.

With Cannon out of the way, Chaffetz faces a Democrat who's been working hard to get his name and conservative message out, and a member of the Constitution Party who got nearly 11 percent of the vote when he faced Cannon two years ago.

The 3rd Congressional District cuts a wide swath across Utah, drawing in cities, forests and farmland. The candidates for the seat are as varied as the area.

Bennion Spencer is a pro-life, anti-gay marriage Democrat; Jim Noorlander says the country is headed in the wrong direction, toward socialism; and Chaffetz is a former BYU football player with the endorsement of many top state GOPers. The three face off Nov. 4, or sooner for people who take advantage of early voting, which starts Tuesday.

Jason Chaffetz

On one hand, Jason Chaffetz wants to pinch himself.

After all, the 41-year-old Alpine resident accomplished the unexpected. In the June primary, he defeated six-term incumbent Chris Cannon to become the Republican candidate for Congress in Utah's 3rd District.

But, on the other hand, the former Brigham Young University football player expected the victory.

"I'm a very confident person," he said. "I know if I apply myself and give it 110 percent I can do it. I don't want to sound cocky, but if not me, who?"

A product of the West, Chaffetz was born in California, attended grade school in Arizona and graduated high school in Colorado. Recruited by then BYU football coach LaVell Edwards as a place kicker, Chaffetz joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in college and hasn't left Utah since.

After finishing college with a degree in communications, Chaffetz joined Nu Skin as an intern. He would stay at Nu Skin for nearly 11 years, moving up the ladder and holding titles such as managing director of marketing and product development and general manager for Australia and New Zealand.

Since leaving Nu Skin in 2000, he has worked at several other companies including at Covol Fuels, now Headwaters Energy Services. He now owns his own marketing business, Maxtera, with his brother Alex. Maxtera's clients include Ford, Omni brokerage and Orchard securities, Chaffetz said.

Chaffetz says he didn't plan on going into politics, though he'd been involved in political campaigns, even serving as co-chairman in 1988 of Dukakis for Utah. Chaffetz's father, John, had married and divorced Kitty Dukakis before she married then Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.

His conversion to the Republican Party happened over time, he said, starting while working during the 1988 presidential race. That's when he says he discovered that he fit in better with Republicans. But the change was complete when he met Ronald Reagan in 1990, when Reagan came to Nu Skin as a motivational speaker.

Years later, another politician would change Chaffetz's political life -- Jon Huntsman Jr.

"... I thought I could put up a few yard signs," he said. "That pretty much changed my life."

In 2004, Chaffetz was angling for a job, any job, with Huntsman's gubernatorial campaign. He had volunteered for other campaigns in previous years, including U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon's in 1996, going so far as to write a letter to the editor lauding him as the best man for the 3rd District seat.

While Chaffetz hadn't played a significant role in any of those previous campaigns, he was eventually chosen as Huntsman's director of communications. Huntsman surprised him during a trip to Fillmore by asking him to take the next step and become his campaign manager. Shortly after rolling to victory in the state's general election, Huntsman asked Chaffetz to stay on as his chief of staff, a job he freely acknowledges he wasn't qualified for. While Huntsman would eventually tell the Deseret News in 2005 that Chaffetz was the "most gifted political strategist I have ever encountered," his stint as chief of staff was both short and rocky.

He left after less than a year -- the official line was "to pursue other business opportunities" and to nurse a badly broken foot that happened in a fall at home.

"Those two years working with Huntsman, the political bug bit me," he said. "I thought, 'I can do this, and I can do this better than Chris Cannon can.'"

He set his sights on defeating Cannon early.

"In early 2007 instead of riding my bike I was down in my basement, calling delegates," he said. "More than a year before the convention I was driving to Richfield to meet three people. Good old-fashioned hard work -- there's no substitute for it."

Statistically -- 98 percent of incumbents in the House of Representatives win their races -- and financially -- Cannon outspent him by $600,000 -- Chaffetz's chances for victory were slim.

"We really changed the equation," he said. "Traditionally big dollars plus big name identification might mean big victory. But now policy plus principle plus good old-fashioned hard work equals big victory."

Chaffetz is where he is today because, as he put it, he raised his hand.

"So few people raise their hands but those that do make a big difference. A big part of my life is raising my hand when most others wouldn't -- it's how I became place kicker, it's how I became Jon Huntsman Jr.'s chief of staff, it's how I became candidate, it's how I met my wife."

Now that he's raised his hand to become the 3rd District's congressman, the father of three has plans to revamp some of Cannon's policies. His biggest plans are for immigration.

In September, the candidate faced heat for his suggestion that illegal immigrants should be detained in tent cities surrounded by barbed wire. Chaffetz says that his plan has been misunderstood or deliberately misconstrued.

"I want to enforce the law. And I'm sure that far-left, liberal Democrats like [New Mexico Gov.] Bill Richardson and Bennion Spencer don't like it," he said. Spencer is one of Chaffetz's opponents in the 3rd District. "I've never said I want to round up people based on their ethnicity and throw them in a tent."

He has since stated he regrets using the word "tent."

"I can do better calling them eco-friendly, highly portable, low-cost detention facilities," Chaffetz said. He now points to structures like those built by Utah company Sprung Instant Structures as a model. "You don't go down to Cabela's to get these things."

Still, his stance on immigration remains the same, even calling for the elimination of birthright citizenship if the parents are illegal.

"We can't reward illegal behavior," he said.¬ "We must hold people accountable when they break our laws.¬ But we must also be accountable for the poor policy decisions that got us where we are.¬ My priorities are to fix legal immigration, reject amnesty, secure the border and enforce our current laws.¬ We must remove incentives to come here illegally and give businesses the tools to stay in compliance with the law."

He'd also like to retool Cannon's fiscal policies.

"Over the 12 years that he was in office, our budget doubled. There's nothing conservative about that," Chaffetz said. "We have to rein in spending."

Saying that how a candidate runs his campaign is indicative of how he will be in office, Chaffetz is most proud of the fact that he has run his campaign debt free. His campaign has raised more than $359,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a group that tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

In July, Chaffetz flew to Alaska and met with Gov. Sarah Palin to see the Artic National Wildlife Refuge and said he returned "more in favor of drilling domestically than ever."

"We need to extract oil shale in Utah and on the continental shelf and I think we can do it in an environmentally friendly way."

Although his opponent, Spencer, a Riverton resident, criticizes him for not living within the 3rd District, Chaffetz says, "I have a lot more in common with Utah County than anywhere else. We're lifers here, we're not moving."

And while he admits confidence comes easy to him, Chaffetz said it will be humbling to represent 850,000 people.

"Hopefully I can stay grounded and represent Utah to Washington not Washington to Utah."

Bennion Spencer

More than 35 years after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to England, Bennion Spencer is knocking doors once again. As a Democrat, it's what the 3rd District congressional candidate must do. "It's easier to convince people in England to take a Book of Mormon than to get a Republican in Utah to take literature from a Democrat," he said. "We have to scratch for every vote we can get."

Even so, the Riverton resident said now is better than any time to lean left.

"The last eight years have been a disaster," he said. "It doesn't matter that we have a really well run state. We are attached to the national and global economy."

But don't get Spencer wrong, he's no San Francisco liberal.

"I'm pro-life, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and everyone can keep their guns because it has nothing to do with gas prices and what is happening on Wall Street," he said. "I'm the true conservative in this race. My opponent is the extremist in this race."

The 55-year-old former journalist said being a Democrat in Utah has become easier in the past few months.

"I'm impressed with how many people in Utah are coming out and saying, 'I agree with you,'" he said. "I'm having Republicans support me because they feel it is the best thing for their family economy."

But that isn't stopping him from walking District 3's highways and byways and shaking voters' hands -- about 200 a day, he estimates.

"It's hard, it's tiring, but it's the test of the office," he said.

Born in Layton, Spencer has made Riverton home since the early 1990s. A passionate horseman, Spencer holds two degrees -- a bachelor's in broadcast communications from Weber State University and a master's in international relations from Utah State University.

Before he took a full-time teaching position at Neumont University in South Jordan, Spencer spent 25 years as a journalist. Or as he put it, "25 years of looking at both sides of the issues."

"Just when you think you've figured it out as a journalist you have to consider the other perspective," he said. "That's what I do in politics. Can you imagine a political system where both parties looked at both sides?"

In 2000 and 2002, Spencer took a break from reporting to run for the Utah State Senate. In both campaigns, he focused on improving public education and removing the sales tax from food.

"I ran against Chris Buttars," he said. "All the voters feel like they owe me one. They say, 'Hey you were right last time.'"

Why is he at it again? "If you believe in your cause, never give up," he said.

A father to four and grandfather to five, Spencer worries that his opponent, Jason Chaffetz, is out of touch with 3rd District voters. Chaffetz lives in Alpine, just outside of the 3rd District borders.

"I live in the 3rd District, my opponent lives in the 2nd District. The average income in the 3rd District is $50,000. The Bush tax cuts only give a break to people that make more than $250,000. That only has an impact on 2 to 3 percent of my district."

The economy is not only Utah's No. 1 issue right now, it's also the reason to vote Democrat, Spencer said.

"Republicans have no argument whatsoever when it comes to economy," he said. "They have lost their stewardship. There's nothing a Republican can say."

Spencer agreed with the passing of the financial bailout, but adds that the plan needs to be monitored closely.

"We have to make sure that the money we recover goes against paying the national debt," he said.

Like his opponents, Spencer believes America's dependence on foreign oil is a threat to national security, and wants to drill domestically -- as long as it is part of a comprehensive energy plan.

"Here in the West we are sitting on 1.8 trillion barrels of oil from oil shale," he said. "We can ease our dependence on foreign oil while creating jobs at home."

Along those lines, Spencer would like to establish a center for energy development at Utah Valley University to research energy alternatives.

"Utah can insulate itself from the woes of Wall Street by developing energy programs," he said, adding that Utah can harvest energy from oil shale, geothermal, wind and solar power. "Energy independence and managing this bailout are so connected."

Mirroring his past campaigns, Spencer has strong views on education and would like to repeal the No Child Left Behind Act and give local school districts autonomy. He wants to cut back on 400 federal programs he feels are duplicated by state efforts and with that saved money, make college more affordable for Americans.

A Republican "during the early Reagan years," Spencer said the former president would roll over in his grave if he knew what Chaffetz said about immigrants being forced into "tent cities." Spencer said he wants to secure the borders but also allow for a guest worker program.

"My opponent wants to build tent cities," he said. "That's profiling. How do you know who to round up? We need to create a pathway to citizenship. I reject the thought of amnesty outright. Those people that come forward should pay a fine. Coming into this country and working without papers is a civil violation."

The son of an Air Force veteran father and WWII nurse mother, Spencer is adamant about supporting American troops. In a recent debate, he was applauded for his support of a withdrawal of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"There are two kinds of people in this world that would die for us unconditionally -- Jesus Christ and a G.I. Our soldiers deserve better than a straight party vote."

"The LDS church came out with a statement a couple of weeks ago where they asked the members not to be straight party voters but to examine the candidates and the issues. I have confidence that's going to happen in this election."

But confidence alone won't help any candidate win, especially a Democrat in Utah. It's going to take more picnics in Payson and knocking doors in Nephi and that's OK, Spencer said.

"I have talked to everybody," he said. "I ate lamb burgers in Sanpete County, I ate bratwurst and sauerkraut in Salina."

Recently, an Elsinore man in his 70s sent Spencer $10 -- what the man called his "weekly date money" -- and wished him well. Touched by the letter, Spencer said, "it makes me feel I have to work harder to win."

"If I lose, I'm going to be fine," he admitted. "I'm worried about 70,000 children that don't have health insurance in the district. I'm worried about the middle class getting a tax break. I'm worried about all those people like my friend in Elsinore that wants to make sure Medicare doesn't fall apart while he's on this earth. I'm more worried about the people that need help than myself."

Jim Noorlander

All Jim Noorlander wants is 20 minutes.

In that time, the Constitution Party candidate for the 3rd Congressional District seat said he can teach anyone the principles of the Constitution. That alone, he said, would convince them to change the status quo of America.

"People have so far removed themselves from the principles of the founding fathers," he said. "You don't need a doctorate to run for office. You need a love and understanding of the Constitution."

And that's why this Sanpete County resident is running under the Constitution Party ticket.

Serving as a state delegate for the Republican Party for 24 years, Noorlander said he walked away because his party no longer represented what he stands for.

"I switched because both major parties openly promote socialism," he said. "Once you go down that road, there's no turning back."

There are still good people in the Republican Party, he said, but added, "If nobody showed up to see Michael Jordan play basketball, how much would he be worth?"

Born in Boston, 59-year-old Noorlander was raised by his mother and attended Catholic school. He credits nuns with instilling a love of liberty in his heart. At 14, he moved to California and met his Mormon father for the first time. There he converted to the LDS church.

He met his wife Liza in high school -- he was 17, she was 15 -- and later joined the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. The two were married in St. George in 1972 and Noorlander spent most of his military career in North Carolina. In 1975 he moved his family to Provo and has lived in Utah ever since.

A graduate of Utah Technical College (now Utah Valley University), the Fairview resident makes his living in construction as president of Noorlander Home Building and Roofing. Even during his campaign he wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to go to work.

The Noorlanders raised 11 children -- six sons and five daughters -- and have 20 grandchildren. Raising such a large family was a struggle at times, he admitted. Even so, he never accepted handouts.

"To raise 11 children without ever once taking a government program, even a free school lunch, has been an awesome responsibility," he said.

Noorlander's 2006 bid for Congress was unsuccessful, but he secured almost 11 percent of the vote. He is also proud to say he beat out the Democratic candidate in his home county of Sanpete as well as Millard County. "Even without the help of the news media," he added.

In the 2006 race, Noorlander was often not invited to debates and claimed the media "blacked" him out. "The fact that I was on KSL [on Monday night] is no small thing," he said.

Even without incumbent Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, in the race, Noorlander said his campaign has not changed.

"My message is the same," he said. "Disavow socialism and return to the message of the founding fathers."

So strong are his anti-welfare views, that under the socialism issue on his campaign Web site is displayed an image of a stick figure pointing a gun to another stick figure's head.

"The more a nation embraces socialism the more secular and godless the nation becomes," he states on his Web site, later saying that child abuse, pornography, abortion, same-sex marriage and illegal immigration are all products of socialism.

Like his opponents, Noorlander wants to see serious immigration reform.

"You can't have freedom in principle if you won't defend it in fact," he said. "Close the borders now."

Noorlander claims that illegal immigrants have killed 60,000 Americans since Sept. 11, and recommends militarizing the border.

He proposes a "liberty card" that would give illegal immigrants four years to get their affairs in order before they have to leave the country. If they are caught after that, the government would seize all their assets and forcibly send them back.

"After we close the borders, we're going to work really hard to make legal immigration easy," he said. "But we will do it in the spirit of the founding fathers."

A free market champion, Noorlander not only rejects national health care proposals, but also wants to see the Food and Drug Administration eliminated because it is "responsible for prohibiting beneficial products, treatments and technologies here in the United States that are freely available in much of the world."

Other government entities he wants ousted? The Department of Energy for one.

"The federal government has no right to tell any sovereign state where and how they can develop the nation's natural resources," he said. "That is why we find ourselves in the position we are in today. The state of Utah and the state of Montana both have an unlimited amount of resources. We should not have the federal government in our way, determining how these resources need to be developed."

Not only does he support domestic drilling like his opponents, but he calls it a "matter of national security."

"America has the resources and technical know-how to become energy independent within 10 to 15 years," he said.

When it comes to high gas prices, Noorlander accepts the idea of supply and demand, but also blames the Federal Reserve's "printing money out of thin air" as the root cause of inflation.

"To suggest that oil is the cause of the inflation would be like saying I washed down my sidewalk last night and that's why it rained," he said.

As a business owner, Noorlander said he has seen firsthand the detrimental effects of inflation. In 1979, he paid his workers $15 an hour and the average cost of a car was $5,000. A home cost $30,000 and a gallon of gas cost under a dollar.

Thirty years later, many homes are priced well over $250,000, cars set a person back about $20,000 and gas has hit more than $4 a gallon. Despite this, his company's base entry wage is still $15.

"Yet, our leaders in government tell us that nothing is wrong with the money," he said.

Noorlander added that the government's $700 billion bailout should have been a "wake up call" for Americans.

"You went out and bought a Harley for everybody in the nation," he said. "The bailout undermined every fundamental principle and every founding document of this nation. Why? Because it promotes socialism."

"There are natural laws that cannot be violated without impunity," he continued. "You cannot spend more than you make. This is not only true for individuals but for communities and nations. The leadership of the nation has sold our birthright for a mess of pottage."

What is needed, he said, is a "restoration" of principles. Since the New Deal, the creation of the Federal Reserve and "the judicial branch coercing the American people into an amoral straight jacket," Noorlander said socialism has rooted its way into the framework of America.

"Most of the people in Utah believe, as I do, that the Constitution is a divinely inspired document, written by the finger of providence. If God established the Constitution, it therefore must be based on eternal principles. Why not then go back to that blueprint?"

As a former Republican, Noorlander realizes the fight he is in for against Chaffetz on Nov. 4. But that isn't stopping him.

"I know the numbers aren't there but I know my position is correct."