Huntsman told the Deseret Morning News the weekend before the Legislature adjourned March 1 that in the upcoming legislative races, he would be campaigning and speaking for legislators who stand with him. Half of the Senate and all of the House are up for election.

Huntsman said at the time that if legislators support his special-session call for a "reformed, fairer and flatter" income tax system, he'd use some of his own political capital to help them get re-elected.

If they don't support lowering the state personal income tax rate from 7 percent to 4.9 percent, and cutting taxes by $70 million, he won't be out on the campaign trail for them, Huntsman said.

Such tough talk rankled some House and Senate GOP lawmakers, who held up Huntsman's tax reforms in the session's final days.

But now the governor — who had an 83 percent approval rating in a Morning News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates in mid-February — is paying back those who stand with him, Mower said.

Huntsman will go to Weber and Davis counties later this week to sign several bills — one, an anti-abortion bill — for several House Republicans. Friday he flies to Cedar City to sign a resolution honoring Utah Shakespearean Festival founder Fred Adams — a resolution sponsored by moderate Republican Rep. Bud Bowman, R-Cedar City.

Next week he'll be in Salt Lake and Utah counties signing more bills sponsored by GOP lawmakers Huntsman would like to see re-elected.

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Contributing: Josh Loftin

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com