How the Democrats might win Utah.

[Drunken Irishman]

Yes, next year, it's possible a Democrat wins the Utah gubernatorial election.

I know it sounds unlikely, since a Democrat hasn't served as governor here since the mid-1980s, but with Gov. Huntsman accepting Obama's offer, it opens the doors to the possibility.

For starters, the man replacing him isn't very popular outside of the Utah County base. And while Utah County is the 2nd largest country in the state, he can't win without broadening his support. In fact, Utah has had a string of moderate governors since Scott Matheson left office in 1985.

That bodes well for a moderate Democrat, especially if that candidate runs against Herbert.

However, with all that said, I think there are only two viable Democratic candidates:

Jim Matheson -- Utah's current lone Democrat in Congress and Peter Corroon, the current mayor of Salt Lake County.

Now let me fix the confusion for those not in Utah. Peter Corroon is not the mayor of Salt Lake City. That is Ralph Becker, who replaced Rocky Anderson after Anderson decided to not seek a third term. Becker is pretty liberal and I doubt he has the stature to win a state-wide race.

Corroon, however, does have credibility.

Firstly, while Salt Lake County is more liberal than Utah as a whole (it went to Pres. Obama in November), it still lags behind Salt Lake City in that regard. The suburbs of Salt Lake are extremely conservative, specifically in the south-end of the valley, and Corroon has done extremely well here.

Corroon is also the cousin of Howard Dean, believe it or not.

Matheson is a conservative Democrat, but I suspect he'd be more liberal as governor. Yet if he were to be elected, it would surely give the Republicans Utah's 2nd Congressional District, as I don't think there is a Democrat who could win it not named Matheson.

So if either Corroon or Matheson run, I believe it's very possible.