But the largest single donor from Utah is billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., who has given $128,500, according to the most current filings in four states and the federal government reviewed by the Morning News.

Jon Huntsman Sr., the father of Utah's governor, said he'd like to see Romney run for president.

"Mitt Romney is an old and dear friend. I was close to his mother and father, and have known Mitt most of my life. Even though he is not a candidate at the present time, I'm encouraging him to run and hopeful he will run," Jon Huntsman Sr. said.

Other big donors from Utah include Blake Roney, the head of NuSkin, and Kem Gardner, a developer formerly with Boyer Co. and a longtime friend of Romney's. Family members of Huntsman, Gardner and others also gave but not Utah's governor.

"Gov. Huntsman hasn't made any campaign contributions at this point because there are no official candidates in the race for the Republican nomination for the presidency," his spokesman, Mike Mower, said.

But Huntsman, a former diplomat, has advised Romney on a number of foreign policy issues, especially those dealing with China. "Gov. Huntsman maintains a close, collaborative relationship with his fellow governor, Mitt Romney," Mower said.

Romney, whose term as Massachusetts governor ends in January, has yet to declare his political intentions. But since 2004, he has been raising money in key presidential primary states for the PACs.

He now has PACs in Iowa, where the first presidential caucuses will be held; New Hampshire; site of the first presidential primary; and South Carolina, an early test of a candidate's strength in the South.

And Romney has a PAC in Michigan, where his late father served as governor and where his presidential campaign may end up being headquartered should he run. Money has also been raised for a PAC in Arizona.

That cash can't be used to fund a presidential run. Instead, leadership PAC dollars typically are distributed to party candidates in those key states to secure support when the presidential primaries roll around.

The leading would-be contenders for the White House from both major parties all have leadership PACs — Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, has HillPAC. Another leadership PAC, "Straight Talk America," belongs to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"It's the norm now," said Kelly Patterson, director of Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. "The presidential nomination system in this country is so complex in some ways. It requires a long-term effort."

Leadership PACs, Patterson said, help would-be candidates lock up sources of campaign contributions early. And the money collected by such PACs can also be used to pay travel expenses to secure those contacts, especially in key primary states.