In a series of "preferential" ballots, the eight-candidate GOP gubernatorial field was narrowed to the two finalists. The candidate receiving the lowest vote total was eliminated in each round. The elimination sequence was as follows, with the finalists emerging in the seventh round of balloting:

• Round one: Gary Benson

• Round two: State Sen. Parley Hellewell

• Round three: Former U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen

• Round four: Utah House Speaker Marty Stephens

• Round five: Gov. Olene Walker

• Round six: Business executive Fred Lampropoulos

• Round seven (finalists): Board of Regents chairman Nolan Karras; Former ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr.

In the end, Huntsman garnered 51 percent of the vote and Karras 49 percent. They now face each other in a June 22 Republican primary. In the sixth round of voting, Karras eliminated Lampropoulos by 273 votes, according to unofficial results.