Challenger #1 for Matheson

Tribune:

Dave Glissmeyer, a reform-minded independent with homes in Salt Lake City and St. George, has filed to run against Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson for Utah's 2nd Congressional seat.

"People do a lot of complaining about government doing too much or not enough," Glissmeyer told The Salt Lake Tribune Wednesday. "But the problem seems to be that there's a great unserved mass in the middle that doesn't want to follow a particular label."

"Party politics can take you down a road that may not make the best sense," said the 57-year-old retired businessman.

In 1984 Glissmeyer launched ProTel NetWorks, a Utah business still in operation. He vows to fuel his campaign from individual donations only and has committed $25,000 of his own cash to seed the effort.

Glissmeyer supports ethics reform, citing history as proof that "elected officials cannot be trusted to regulate or police themselves."

He also pledges to scrutinize the so-called war on drugs for better ways to "quell the violence and crime" that stem from illegal narcotics.

He also believes in a balanced budget and that America's two wars should end in a quick and orderly fashion.

In addition, he recommends fining employers who hire undocumented immigrants, and shutting down low-priority military bases to redirect tax dollars to secure the country's Southern border.

Glissmeyer is the first to enter the race against Matheson, a centrist Democrat who enjoys high approval ratings in a sprawling, largely Republican district.