Most legislative candidates declined to respond to the Deseret News' annual candidate questionnaire. Political writers Bob Bernick, right, and Lisa Riley Roche speculate:

Perhaps they didn't like the questions. Maybe they figure that in today's online world, they can ignore a statewide newspaper.

My guess would be the unresolved feud between the DNews and some GOP legislative leaders. Republicans, including Senate President John Valentine, Sen. Sheldon Killpack and Rep. Steve Urquhart, have been using blogs to slam the DNews and it's politics editor Bob Bernick.

They claim Bernick fabricated a couple stories reporting the Senate was considering undercutting the citizen referendum process. The paper has refused to take responsibility for, or even acknowledge the false information, they say. Finally, the angry lawmakers' demand that the DNews release the tape of the meeting in question between the paper's editorial board and Senate leaders has been ignored.