Hellewell said he put himself at a disadvantage by saying he wouldn't run, then changing his mind and missing out on six months of hard work in gaining the support of delegates, who will decide at the party's convention which candidate will represent the Republican party on Election Day.

But he said he still thinks he holds the overall advantage as the incumbent and plans to remind voters that Dayton received endorsements from Valentine and others only after he had said he wouldn't run.

The campaign promises some intense moments, but both candidates said they didn't think the process would have a negative effect on the Utah County GOP.

"These are intelligent voters and they can make good decisions," Dayton said.

Both candidates vowed to run a clean campaign.

"I don't want to get caught up in (personal attacks)," Dayton said. "I intend to take the high road and stick to the issues."

Hellewell, who faces only Dayton in the race so far, made a similar promise.

"I hope the campaign stays clean, and I'm not going to say bad things about Margaret," he said. "If I'm not there (after the election), she's a conservative like me."

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com