SALT LAKE CITY -- Longtime Republican Party gadfly Mike Ridgway was evicted from a Salt Lake County GOP caucus meeting at which he had hoped to regain his posts as precinct chairman and county and state delegate.

Ridgway was escorted by a sheriff's deputy from the District 2158 meeting held at the party's state headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City and chaired by James Evans, the party's Salt Lake County chairman.

Ridgway, whose party posts had been taken away from him, said he moved to be elected precinct chairman, and he was supported by a majority of the people there, but Evans refused to acknowledge the motion.

Evans said he had not recognized Ridgway to speak, the motion was never seconded, "and when he called for a vote, he only had four votes, counting his own," out of the nine people present.

He said Ridgway continued to be disruptive and was escorted out of the building by a sheriff's deputy.

Evans said Ridgway's brother -- Keith Ridgway -- was then elected precinct chairman. Party officials have complained several times over the last year that Mike Ridgway is abusive toward other party members and volunteers.

He was removed from his party offices after a dispute over the party replacing county Mayor Nancy Workman on the ballot after she was charged of misuse of funds. She eventually was acquitted by a jury.

Before the 2004 election, she cited disability in withdrawing from her re-election race, clearing the way for the party to replace her on the ballot with Ellis Ivory, who went on to lose to Democrat Peter Corroon.

Mike Ridgway and some of the other dissidents had been supporters of former Rep. Merrill Cook, who was running for mayor as an independent. They denied that their support of Cook was the reason for there opposition to the party putting Ivory on the ballot.

Cook announced last week that he will run as a Republican against incumbent Republican 3rd District Rep. Chris Cannon.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D3.