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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A group thwarted in efforts to get school-voucher proposals enacted has targeted six legislators for defeat in November's election.
Parents for Choice has recruited supporters to challenge these incumbents and promises them big campaign donations.
The targeted lawmakers include Republican public school teachers Dave Cox of Lehi and Kory Holdaway of Taylorsville and Democratic retired school employees Jim Gowans of Tooele and LaWanna Shurtliff of Ogden.
Also targeted are Republicans Dave Hogue of Riverton and Sheryl Allen of Bountiful.
The group also is supporting a seventh candidate, Orem resident John Tinsley, who is running in the district left vacant by Republican Rep. Margaret Dayton as she goes after a Senate seat.
The Utah Education Association, the state's largest teacher union, promises to the aid the "education friendly" incumbents.
"We know their opposition to vouchers has resulted in them being targeted by Parents for Choice," said UEA lobbyist Vik Arnold. "We have made a commitment to these legislators that we will be there to support them at party caucuses."
Parents for Choice Executive Director Elisa Peterson declined to say how much money the political action committee would funnel to its candidates.
"That is a matter of strategic confidence right now," she said.
But Parents for Choice spokesman Royce Van Tassell said the effort should exceed the PAC's 2004 campaign activity, in which it spent $132,600 on direct campaign contributions or ads on behalf of candidates. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was the largest recipient, receiving radio spots and mailings worth $58,500.
Small-business owner Mark Jacobs was recruited by the group to challenge Allen, who runs a nonprofit foundation supporting the Davis School District.
"They persuaded me to give it a shot," said Jacobs, who called school vouchers his No. 1 priority.
"I've decided to run to help encourage people to consider school choice," he said. "I'm very passionate about offering alternatives to parents."
Jacobs, who has 11 children, previously ran for Congress in 2002, losing to Rep. Rob Bishop.
The group's other supported candidates are George Garwood Jr. against Shurtliff, Jess Clifford against Gowans, Milton Witt against Holdaway, Carl Wimmer against Hogue and Ken Sumsion against Cox.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
