Huntsman fundraiser may take in $450,000

Tonight's fundraiser for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is expected to rake in a whopping $450,000.

"This is the big one," Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said of this year's "Governor's Gala," scheduled for tonight at the Grand America hotel downtown. Tickets are $500 each, or $5,000 for a table.

The event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and entertainment at 7:30 p.m. The entertainment will be provided by someone Roskelley described as a surprise guest, a comedian she said is well-known nationally.

The money anticipated from the annual gala, combined with the proceeds of other fundraisers, should be enough to pay off Huntsman's campaign debt from his 2004 election and cover his re-election costs, Roskelley said.

"We've been doing other fundraisers, and I think we'll do a couple more," she said, including a motorcycle ride later this month. In the spring, for example, Huntsman got together with a small group of ski resort officials and collected $11,500.

Campaign aides have said Huntsman expects to spend between $800,000 and $900,000 getting re-elected, an amount Roskelley said includes repaying what is still owed on a $500,000 Zions Bank line of credit from his 2004 race.

Huntsman spent about $3.5 million winning the governor's office in 2004.

This time, his Democratic opponent, Bob Springmeyer, has trailed behind him in the polls. Last month, Springmeyer, a business consultant, reported he'd raised less than $50,000 for his race.

— Lisa Riley Roche