Quoting Abraham Lincoln principles, Huntsman, whose family has close ties to the U., said entities closest to the situations should make the decisions. "But the issue is in court. The U. thinks there are constitutional issues. I support the U.'s right to seek those answers and as governor would support the court's ruling."

Parental rights

Finally, Karras says "from all I've heard on the campaign trail, the state has gone a bit too far" on the tough issue of parental rights vs. the state taking children out of a family's home.

The issue has simmered for years on Capitol Hill and boiled over in the 2004 session with nearly 30 proposals introduced seeking to change the way the state manges its child welfare cases. Fewer than a half dozen of the so-called "Parker Jensen" bills passed, named after a boy whose family refused the state's orders to have him undergo chemotherapy.

"The overriding issue is we have to protect kids. As governor, I'm going to hold the Division of Child and Family Services accountable. But I'm going to back 'em up, too," Karras said. "Truth is, we don't solve this issue by legislation, but by good management."

Said Huntsman: "I stand tall for parental rights. Clearly, there are some egregious cases" where the state took and/or held custody of children where it should not have. "If the parent is competent, and is not abusive, the parent has ultimate say over the child."

While the candidates are saying the right things, there are some lingering concerns, Ruzicka said.

For Karras it's his commitment to school choice. "He's friends with (Utah Gov.) Olene Walker, and she definitely was the UEA candidate. And some worry about Huntsman's international ideas," such as United Nations and World Bank issues, Ruzicka said. "I'm sure conservatives want to sit down with both men again" before the primary to get more detailed answers to questions.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com