"One of the things people don't get is if I'm not re-elected, the best-case scenario for Republicans in Utah is that we beat (Democrat) Jim Matheson and (Republican) Rob Bishop as a sophomore heads the Utah delegation. The worst-case scenario is Jim Matheson becomes the head of the delegation and, if I can be beat in the Republican Party, one of my opponents will be vulnerable" to Beau Babka.

Hawkins, a Salt Lake attorney who ran against Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2000, said his polls show him running neck-and-neck with Cannon among committed delegates. But with so many undecideds — 30 to 40 percent of the delegates, according to most counts — it's impossible to be certain what exactly that means.

All those undecideds allowed the candidates to feel like they were building momentum entering the convention as some made choices in the closing days and hours. Throckmorton, a Springville flooring contractor and former state legislator, said he added several dozen delegates after a meeting on Wednesday.

"We're definitely right at the threshold of 40 percent," he said.

All the number-crunching — and some of the uncertainty — will end today.

"The last 24 hours are mostly anxiety as you wonder if your whole life is going to change this weekend," Hawkins said, "or will you keep doing the same thing."

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E-mail: twalch@desnews.com