By Brooke Martin
New redistricting lines put two Utah representatives in the same district, forcing friends to become competitors for a seat in the state legislature.
Reps. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, and Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, long-time friends, can’t both serve in the House after the legislature approved state house maps in October.
“The last thing I want to do is run against my good friend, Steve Sandstrom,” Herrod said.
The situation may lead them to set their sights on higher offices. Herrod’s colleagues say he may run against U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and he has hinted that might be true.
“I have been looking at the U.S. Senate race, but it’s a decision you have to make with your family,” Herrod said. “I like representing the people of Provo, it’s been a great honor for me, so that’s still a possibility.”
Herrod says he is not blaming the redistricting committee for the situation he is in.
“One of the things about this process, you’ll hear a lot about gerrymandering and i can tell you that’s one thing that has not happened,” he said. “If there was gerrymandering involved, I wouldn’t be in the situation I currently am in.”
Herrod said he supports the process that reorganizes the districts, even though it forces him to rethink his plans. If Herrod does run for the Senate, he will likely announce it once the boundary lines are final later this month.
