Ten people are seeking to replace outgoing state Rep. Jeff Alexander, R-Provo, who is resigning at the end of the year.

The candidates will meet with county Republican officials tonight to review party bylaws and take care of other routine business, and some of them have already started contacting the 90 delegates who will pick the next legislator for House District 62 on Jan. 2.

Marian Monnahan, chairwoman of the Utah County Republican Party, said it's not unusual for this many candidates to sign up.

"Not when you get an open seat," she said. "More people show up than when there's an incumbent. It's not an opportunity that comes along very often."

Alexander said he'd decided to spend more time on his printing business and work with the governor's office on economic development issues. His decision came after the filing deadline for November's elections; however, and it was too late to take his name off the ballot.

The candidates are, in alphabetical order:

Brent Ashworth, an attorney and rare books dealer who serves on the Provo Landmarks Commission

John Curtis, CEO of Action Target Inc.

Schipper Clawson, a teacher at Canyon Crest Elementary

Rulon Garfield, former state senator

Dennis Hoagland, an executive at Members Trust Co.

Chris Herrod, a precinct chairman and real estate developer

Grant Misbach, a retiree who's a GOP legislative vice chairman

David Starling, an Independence High School teacher and precinct chairman

Chuck Stewart, a physician and former state senator

Paul Warner, former Provo city councilman.

The candidates and the delegates now have three weeks to get to know each other, and the fact that it's happening over the holidays adds "a lot of extra tension," Monnahan said.

"It takes quite a while to phone them, make an appointment, go and meet them," she said. "Sometimes people are so busy, they say, 'Just tell me who you are over the phone,' which isn't the best way."

GOP bylaws preclude the party from organizing a debate, because party funds can't be spent until a candidate is selected. Other organizations could organize one, however.

Even with a formal event, delegates will be hard-pressed to meet all the candidates, said delegate Sheryl Devereaux.

"I don't see that as being possible," she said, noting that she already has a conflict -- a scheduled meeting with a candidate Wednesday night would interfere with a Christmas program involving one of her children. "Most people don't get to go to all the family parties they have planned, let alone this."

It's especially frustrating because she invests a lot of time researching candidates, Devereaux said, such as examining voting records and sponsored legislation.

"If they're not in public office, you have to find out what else they've done that makes them qualified," she said. "How do you do that with this many candidates, in this amount of time, at this time of yearfi

"You just have to manage it the best you can."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.