Best chance for the Republicans, with so little time left, is to have a prominent, high-profile Republican with a lot of stature and substance ride in on a white horse, create a lot of excitement and sense of urgency (like Mitt Romney did with the Olympics), and save the day. GOP insiders say they have a person or two in mind. But it would necessitate Workman exiting the ballot, which she refuses to do.

If Workman stays in, her only possible hope would be to run a negative, hard-hitting attack campaign against Corroon, trying to damage him worse than she is damaged. Not exactly a classy campaign, and I doubt it would ultimately work.

Pignanelli: If Nancy Workman is on the ballot Election Day, Democrats will enjoy once unexpected victories in county, legislative and state races. Not even the Utah GOP juggernaut can withstand two months of Democrats pointing to Workman's unapologetic arrogance as a disease infecting local politics while Republican candidates spend resources defending and running away from the embattled mayor. But removing and replacing her is no easy matter.

In the early 1980s, Rep. Haze Hunter (R-Iron County) was frustrated with Democratic officials filing last-minute weak challengers against him and then substituting a stronger candidate. So he sponsored and passed legislation that established difficult hurdles for a political party to perform a replacement — death or physical/mental incapacity (certified by a physician) of the original candidate. Making changes on the ballot is rarely accomplished, but history demonstrates it can be done.

Salt Lake County Commissioner Dave Watson was gliding to an easy re-election in 1988 until he was arrested one evening for a DUI. Democrats were looking forward to a successful election cycle in state and local races but knew the presence of a high-profile candidate with pending criminal charges dominating the media would destroy the possibility of any gains. County party officials and elected officeholders (including an Italian-Irish legislator from the Avenues/Capitol Hill area) worked feverishly to coax Commissioner Watson off the ballot, obtain the necessary medical statement and replace the vacancy with a congenial substitute — Riverton Mayor Dale Gardner. Democrats contained the damage, and although they lost the commission position, they actually won key legislative and state races.