Utah's newest state senator faced a challenge two days after being sworn in.

Utah's newest state senator faced a challenge two days after being sworn in. Scott McCoy, an attorney and political activist, replaced Senator Paula Julander, who resigned for health reasons. The challenge from an unnamed person is whether McCoy meets the residency requirements. The state law is ambiguous--he either had to have been living in the district at the time of Julander's election, or he had to be living in the district six months prior to his election. But Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich thinks the real issue is McCoy's homosexuality. "If you ask me is it because he's gay, I have to say yes. And I think that's unfortunate." Dmitrich believes the challenge came from a citizen who worked to pass Amendment 3, Utah's successful ballot initiative that banded same-sex unions. McCoy headed the Don't Amend Alliance that tried to defeat the initiative. Senate President John Valentine, admitting the confusion in the law, said he would oppose any effort to unseat McCoy.