Shurtleff
SALT LAKE CITY (Legal Newsline) - Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says he is considering a run for Congress.
Shurtleff, a Republican, was elected attorney general in November 2000, and was re-elected in November 2004 and November 2008.
The third-term attorney general had revealed in a YouTube video in December that doctors found a malignant tumor in his appendix. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. Since then, he has undergone months of chemotherapy treatments.
Earlier this week, he announced he is cancer-free.
"Full body CT/PET scan results are in: I'M CANCER FREE! Sincere thanks to ALL for faith, prayers, love and support!" he said in a tweet Tuesday.
Now, Shurtleff is looking to his future.
He told KSL Newsradio on Thursday that he might run for Congress -- in particular, the Senate -- if he doesn't seek another term as attorney general. Or he might take a break from politics, he said.
"There is politics in my future for sure," Shurtleff said. "I'm just trying to decide what's next."
But he said he would not run against longtime senior U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, also a Republican.
It wouldn't be the first time Shurtleff made a run for the Senate.
In May 2009, he announced he planned to enter the 2010 Republican primary. However, months later, in November 2009, he ended his campaign to spend more time with his daughter, who was entering substance abuse treatment.
The attorney general told the radio station he also has ruled out running for governor.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by e-mail at jessica@legalnewsline.com.