"It left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not something I'm going to pursue," says State Senator Alicia Suazo.
She tried to carry on her husband's legacy in the State Senate, but Alicia Suazo found out fast: Politics isn't for everybody.
Suazo says her experience on Capitol Hill left her feeling disappointed, even disenchanted with Utah politics.
And the negative experience has gotten even worse this week.
Political Specialist Richard Piatt is live to explain:
Alicia Suazo knew her late husband Pete left big shoes to fill in the state Senate.
What she hadn't counted on was how harsh the experience could be, just trying to fill them.
In many ways, Alicia Suazo says she felt welcomed in the Senate chamber--taking her husband's spot after his fatal ATV accident.
She felt especially hopeful about carrying on Pete Suazo's quest for a hate crimes legislation, which got positive play in 2001.
Sen. Alicia Suazo/(D) Salt Lake City/January 21: "I DON'T THINK MUCH HAS CHANGED IN ONE YEAR. AND I'M KIND OF COUNTING ON THAT."
What she hadn't counted on was political reality, Utah style, which happened when a Senate committee killed her Hate Crimes bill, calling it unsalvagable.
Today, she spoke about the experience with bitterness.
Sen. Alicia Suazo/Not Running For Election: "THE DILEMMA I HAD WAS I WAS TOLD TO WAIT. I DID. I WAS ASSURED I WOULD GET SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT AFTER THE OLYMPICS, AND THAT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN."
But that's just one of the reasons she has decided not to run for office.
Politics just isn't in her blood, Suazo says.
Teaching is.
She will now go back to her grade school classroom full time.
Her political experience left a bad taste in her mouth, and she is still in the line of fire even after dropping out.
Her endorsement of political newcomer Nisa Sisneros for the now vacant seat has touched a nerve among many Democrats and Latinos, who feel the race is now less fair.
Robert Gallegos/Salt Lake Co. Voter Registration: "MAYBE SHE IS THE BEST CANDIDATE, I DON'T KNOW. HOW DO I KNOW WHO THE BEST CANDIDATE IS? WE WERE CHEATED OUT OF THAT."
Suazo apologized, calling the timing an oversight.
Her interest is in finding a female, Latino candidate.
On that, she touches on a sensitive issue in Utah politics.
Rep. Duane Bourdeux/(D) Salt Lake City: "I DO THINK WE NEED MORE FEMALE REPRESENTATION. I THINK WE NEED MORE DIVERSITY ON CAPITOL HILL."
The larger issue is that Pete Suazo's old Senate seat is now up for grabs--one of the many races that will make this a very dynamic and interesting election year.
