Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is proving a formidable and charismatic presidential candidate, will visit Utah on Aug. 1 for a fund-raiser, local Democratic Party leaders say.

State Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland said Wednesday afternoon that he has confirmation that Obama — who is in a tight race with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and others for the Democratic nomination — will appear in either a Salt Lake City or Park City event from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. that day.

Obama's visit will come on the heels of visits by two other Democratic presidential candidates this weekend. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will hold his own fund-raiser Friday night and then speak at the state party's Jefferson/Jackson Day fund-raising dinner. Both events are at This Is the Place Heritage Park.

And Saturday Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., will speak at the state party's organizing convention at Skyline High School at around 10:30 a.m.

All this Democratic activity in the very red state of Utah tells Holland "that the Rocky Mountain states — with Utah in the region's heart — are fertile ground for national Democratic candidates."

Utah gives candidates a good bang for their buck, said Holland. Two statewide daily newspapers, and radio and TV coverage (which goes into surrounding states), mean media coverage here is a way to reach a lot of voters, said Holland.

"We believe we are getting a number of former moderate Republicans — especially in Park City and Salt Lake County — who believe their party has lost its way. They are looking at us" — moderate Democrats across the Rocky Mountain states, said Holland.

This change was seen recently when former Democratic U.S. Sen. John Edwards raised just over $100,000 in a Utah fund-raiser for his presidential bid, said Holland.

"I imagine that Obama will do as well, probably better" in a fund-raiser here, Holland predicted.

Weekly, Holland has been watching who is contributing money to the Democratic presidential candidates.

And Obama has a growing number in Utah. They may be giving small amounts, but donating money is one measure of a candidate's grass-roots support. "And Obama is bringing into politics a lot of people who have not participated before. It is exciting," said Holland.

"He is breaking all kinds of records in the number of people contributing to his campaign."

Utah has yet to see a visit by Clinton, who campaigned in Utah back in 1992 when her husband, former President Bill Clinton, was seeking the Democratic nomination.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com