Utah attracts notice in presidential race

Almost all of the major presidential candidates have visited Utah at least once in the past six months to raise money and schmooze political leaders who could influence delegate selection. Indeed, even though polls show Mitt Romney has a big lead among Republican candidates in Utah, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani have campaign operations here (especially McCain).

Why the extra attention on Utah?

Pignanelli: Once again, Utah is reaping benefits from its unusual relationship with Sister State Nevada. (No, it isn't locals sneaking over the border to gamble.) Because Nevada has such an early primary, a number of presidential candidates are courting the political bigwigs in order to obtain early support. A strong showing in upcoming Nevada polls will boost the chances of candidates. Salt Lake City is a convenient place to refuel the plane en route to Las Vegas and have a quick fund-raiser for some extra bucks.

Webb: A sign of Utah's economic growth and prosperity is the fact that a politician of either party can raise money here in large enough amounts that it's worth a stop. Most candidates clearly don't come here in hopes of winning the popular vote. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, for example, didn't even plan to meet with the news media or hold any meeting or rally for supporters until a spontaneous grass-roots group made it easy for him to make an unplanned quick stop on the way to his fund-raiser. In his recent visit, Giuliani didn't do anything public, although his people said it was out of deference to the coal mine disaster.

Who are the front-runners in Utah?

Webb: Obviously, Romney is way ahead for the GOP nomination in Utah. It's like home turf to him. However, McCain and Giuliani each have a strong presence in the state. Major Republicans like Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff have endorsed McCain, to the consternation of the Romney camp. The big question for Huntsman and Shurtleff is where do they go if McCain drops out early. Is Romney the default candidate for them, or do they snub him again for Giuliani?

Pignanelli: Based upon the number of endorsements from local Democrats, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is in the lead. However the Utah favorite is still up for grabs. Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd has support in the environmental and business community, while Sen. John Edwards scored a success (especially among trial lawyers) in a local fund-raiser. As with many other Americans, a number of Utahns made the pilgrimage to see Obama.

Will Utah gain any attention on Feb. 5 — the big primary date for so many states?