Two years ago, Bridgewater fell just 50 votes short of eliminating Swallow in the final round of voting and winning the nomination outright. But Swallow rebounded and beat Bridgewater in the GOP primary 52-48 percent. But Swallow lost to Matheson by an even narrower margin — less than one percentage point.

Bridgewater predicts a better showing if he faces Swallow in a primary. "I'm known this year. And I lost Washington County last time" by 2,152 votes in the primary.

Bridgewater said his campaign manager is from Washington County, his campaign already has opened an office in St. George and there are Bridgewater campaign captains throughout southern Utah, ready to jump to the primary call if need be.

Swallow said he's been asking delegates to sign a pledge card promising to vote for him Saturday.

"Between those who have publicly signed the pledge and those who for other reasons can't sign one before the convention, we have 600 delegates. That gets us into the primary. And we're working hard to get the 130 more to give us a shot at 60 percent and winning the nomination" Saturday, Swallow said.

Overshadowed in the bickering between Swallow and Bridgewater is Wilde, who said only around a third of the 2002 GOP state delegates are back again. And the 65 percent of new delegates are glad to see a new point of view.

"Among those delegates who have made up their minds, I'm probably third. But most haven't. And I think a compelling convention speech could determine if there is a primary, and who comes out into a primary," he said.

Wilde said in 2002, when he ran for County Council and Swallow was up against Matheson, "I carried the 27 precincts we shared with 58 percent of the vote, while (Swallow) was getting 39 percent of the vote in those same precincts. So people were voting for me and then switching" votes to Democrat Matheson.

"We can't win the 2nd District seat and get only 39 percent of the vote in Salt Lake County, which is what Swallow polled countywide. We need to get swing voters. And I've proven I can do that," Wilde said.

Meanwhile, as Bridgewater and Swallow continued to trade barbs, a Bridgewater supporter sent the Deseret Morning News a copy of an e-mail saying it was from Swallow's campaign and urging his supporters to write negative letters to the editor, and to call Bridgewater a "bridge-burner" for not giving Swallow more help after he won the 2002 nomination.

Tim Garon, Swallow's campaign manager, said, "I don't know anything about that e-mail." In returning volley, he said Bridgewater supporters used Bridgewater's campaign e-mail list to send messages attacking Swallow. "So it's like the pot calling the kettle black," Garon said.

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E-mail: lee@desnews.com