"This has been the subject of much discussion," Weiler said. "If the election were held today, I would expect that based on Romney's strong showing last February (in Utah's GOP primary) he would do very well. But don't count Huntsman out."

Still, Weiler said, Romney's conservative stands are closer to those held by Utah Republicans than Huntsman's more moderate approach to climate change and gay rights. The poll showed that 70 percent of respondents who identified themselves as Republicans preferred Romney over Huntsman.

Nationally, there are those in the GOP who don't appreciate where Huntsman wants to take the party — including some Michigan Republicans who disinvited him to a county event in Grand Rapids based on his support for civil unions.

Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said most Utahns "have not yet focused on the fact that these two favorite sons are attempting to push the party in different directions." For now, he said, both are being judged mostly on their likability and ties to the state.

Huntsman, still largely unknown outside the state except to political insiders, has maintained a high approval rating and was easily re-elected last year to a second and final term.

"Huntsman seems to have earned the trust of a huge majority of Utahns and they are willing to give him the leash to explore some of these issues that are at least in the gray areas of GOP orthodoxy," said Jowers, a longtime Romney supporter who also chairs a commission for the governor.

Then there's what the two possible candidates have in common, their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"The question everyone has is, 'Is there enough room for two Mormon candidates?' " Weiler said. "That's a hard one to answer. The general consensus is no."

Weiler cited the problems that Romney ran into with evangelical voters who don't consider Mormons to be fellow Christians. "Certain factions of the Republican Party," he said, "are not quite ready to embrace a Mormon candidate."

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