Kevin Garn steps down -- Davis GOP moves to fill his legislative seat

LAYTON -- Davis County Republican Party leaders are grappling with the complicated task of replacing Kevin Garn, who resigned Saturday as a state representative following his admission that he had, while naked, sat in a hot tub with a 15-year-old girl 25 years ago.

Garn submitted his resignation Saturday effective immediately in a letter to Speaker of the House David Clark, R-Santa Clara.

Davis County Republican Party Chairwoman Shirley Bouwhuis said she's trying to determine the best method for appointing a replacement to fill the remainder of Garn's term that expires in December as well as nominate a candidate to run for his House District 16 seat in November's general election.

"It's a very complicated situation," she said Saturday.

Current rules call for Davis County Republican Party delegates to select a replacement to finish Garn's term and then, separately, at the April 10 county convention nominate a candidate to run for the seat in the general election, Bouwhuis said.

Davis County party members plan to meet with officials from the Utah Attorney General's Office this week to discuss procedures to follow in filling the vacant seat, said Bouwhuis.

Typically individuals chosen to fill unexpired terms for legislative offices have had an advantage in securing the party's nomination for the general election, said Bouwhuis.

"They (the person selected to complete the unexpired term) could be looked at as an incumbent," she said.

The letter

In his resignation letter, Garn wrote "After discussing this matter with my family, I have decided that it is in the best interests of them, my colleagues and the people of Utah.

"As you know, it is a great honor to serve in the state Legislature. In fact, it has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am proud of what I accomplished. I am proud to have worked with so many wonderful and talented public servants. I wish to thank those who entrusted me with this responsibility."

"I thank you for your steady leadership and I sincerely apologize for becoming a distraction to the conclusion of an otherwise remarkable legislative session. I hope that my public service has changed Utah for the better."

Session stun

Garn's resignation comes two days after the stunning end of the 2010 Legislative session, where he admitted the hot tub incident in a statement from the floor of the House.

Garn, the House majority leader, also admitted that, in 2002 when he was seeking the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District he paid the woman $150,000 when she was contacting reporters about the story..

Cheryl Maher, the girl in the hot tub, now lives in New Hampshire. She told the Associated Press Saturday that she and Garn were in a hot tub together twice -- once in late 1984 after she had just turned 15 and again a few months later in 1985.

She declined to say if the pair were nude both times or to provide any other specifics of the hot-tubbing episodes.

Maher's response

A message left for Garn on his cell phone Saturday wasn't immediately returned.

"I hope some good comes out this for him," Maher, now 40. said in a phone conversation with the Standard-Examiner.

"My intention was not to harm or hurt anyone, it's just to speak the truth," she told the AP. "It's freedom for me to get it out in the open and I think somewhere down the line he will think it's freedom for him, too."

Clark said that he had accepted Garn's resignation regretfully.

"I am grateful to Representative Garn and his family for the time he spent in service to the state of Utah," Clark said in a prepared statement.

"Mistakes made many years ago should not detract from the good work the representative has done during his time in the Utah House of Representatives."

Not condoning?

Clark also addressed the standing ovation Garn received Thursday night after his admission, saying it was a "natural conclusion" to Garn's "difficult, emotional statement" and was not meant to condone his actions.

The Garn scandal and the one involving then-State Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, a Republican from Syracuse, who resigned in January following a drunk driving arrest, has tarnished Utah's political landscape, said Rob Miller, chairman of the Davis County Democratic Party.

"It unfortunate for the people of Utah that Utah's Republican leaders and Davis Republican leaders have allowed themselves to be mired in scandal and political theater," he said. "We are making national news not for our good works but for the poor decisions of Davis County's Republican elected leadership."

But Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen said the party will bounce back.

"I would've preferred neither one of them had happened, obviously, but they did," Hansen said of the Garn and Killpack resignations. "But I don't think in the long run it's going to have any effect."

Successors

Meanwhile, several well known Davis County Republicans are already beginning to line up as possible successors to Garn. The filing period ends Friday for candidates running in November's general election.

Stephen Handy, who served eight years on the Layton City Council and owns a marketing company, said he is leaning toward running for Garn's seat and expects to make a decision within the next few days.

"I've discussed this with lots of people," he said. "They know I'm interested. An opportunity has presented itself. I'm considering it very carefully."

Chris Crowder, who lives in Layton and is a minister at Christian Life Center, filed for the District 16 seat on Friday and believes Garn's resignation may give him small boost over other candidates.

"I have an organization already formed," Crowder, a Republican, said Saturday. "But if someone comes in with name recognition it may not help at all."

Bouwhuis said her husband Michael J. Bouwhuis, who is a Layton City Council member, is also considering seeking the vacant seat. Numerous supporters have encouraged his candidacy, she said.

Information from the Associated Press is included in this story.

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LAYTON -- Kevin Garn resigned today as a state representative, effective immediately.

In a letter to Speaker of the House Dave Clark, Garn wrote:

"After discussing this matter with my family, I have decided that it is in the best interests of them, my colleagues and the people of Utah. As you know, it is a great honor to serve in the State Legislature. In fact, it has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am proud of what I accomplished. I am proud to have worked with so many wonderful and talented public servants. I wish to thank those who entrusted me with this responsibility. "

"I thank you for your steady leadership and I sincerely apologize for becoming a distraction to the conclusion of an otherwise remarkable legislative session. I hope that my public service has changed Utah for the better."

Garn's resignation comes two days after the stunning end of the 2010 Legislative session, where, in a statement from the floor of the House, he admitted he had, while naked, sat in a hot tub with a 15-year-old girl 25 years ago.

Garn, the House majority leader, also admitted that in 2002 when he was seeking the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District he paid the woman $150,000.

The girl in the hot tub, Cheryl Maher, lives in New Hampshire and is now 40 years old.

"I hope some good comes out of this for him," Maher said in a phone conversation Saturday with the Standard-Examiner.

Garn is the second Davis County legislator to resign this year. Sheldon Kilpack, then Senate Majority leader, submitted his resignation after his arrest on suspicion of DUI.