The Democrats? Last week, the group they sent to Denver included a couple of state senators, a mayor, a musician and a former Starbucks barista.

The reason for the contrast is simple: There are many times more prominent Republicans in Republican-dominated Utah.

"On one level . . . one party has a much longer, deeper history of success in the state, which gives it this tremendous pool of individuals from which it can draw and also makes it more competitive," says Kelly Patterson, director of Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy.

On the other hand, the Democrats haven't had as much success so the party is more "permeable," he adds. "People who want to get involved and make a difference will have a much easier time than in an institution . . . where the leadership structure is more clearly defined."

Utah Republicans' delegate roster is a who's who of party activists: Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch, Rep. Rob Bishop, party fundraiser Greg Hopkins and Utah Bankers Association President Howard Headlee.

The guest list of delegates is just as impressive: media mogul David Simmons, public-relations guru Tim Riester, lobbyist Paul Rogers and developer and former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius John Price.

On the Democratic side, delegate Emily Rushton, a 24-year-old Hillary Clinton supporter, is a former Republican who attended her first convention. She said before heading to Denver that she was excited for the chance to go but wasn't sure what she was walking into.

"I don't know whether I'm going to fit in very much," she said.

The difference between the two delegations is easy to explain, according to Jeff Hartley, a GOP operative who is headed to the Republican convention.

"Given the political makeup of state government, you're going to have a lot more elected officials as part of the contingent," Hartley says.

But everyone has to run for their spot as delegates or alternate delegates, and the ones who win usually are well-known, Harley says.

"Everybody gets to run; you can't restrict those who can run," he says.

In addition, there may be some Utah Democrats who don't want to saddle up to their national party, Hartley adds.

Rep. Jim Matheson, a Democrat who represents a conservative district in Utah, didn't attend the Democratic National Convention for the third time, opting to take his son to his first day of fourth grade.

"It's a different party," said Hartley. "There may be a lot of people like Matheson who don't want to align themselves with that."

Blaze Wharton, a lobbyist and former Democratic senator who was a delegate for the Denver convention, says everyone had a chance to seek a delegate spot as well, and some earned it the old-fashioned way.

For example: Apollo Pazell, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate and former Starbucks employee. Pazell, who worked for the Clinton campaign during the primaries, earned a delegate slot by lobbying for votes one by one. He even got to take the national spotlight for a moment when he seconded Clinton's nomination.

"It says a lot about [what you can do] if you put your mind to it," Wharton says. "He campaigned hard."

tburr@sltrib.com

NO ROYAL TREATMENT: Utah may be the reddest state, but its delegation doesn't expect any special treatment during the convention. The national party seems to take Utah's electoral votes for granted. See A8.

GOP VS. GUSTAV: John McCain's campaign says it has gained $7 million since Sarah Palin's selection for V.P. on Friday. But that success may be overshadowed by Gustav as the storm threatens the GOP convention set to open Monday in St. Paul, Minn. See A9.

BUSH FACTOR: President Bush, scheduled to address the convention Monday, tries to keep his distance from McCain. See A9.

AT SLTRIB.COM: See the blog of Tribune reporters Matt Canham and Robert Gehrke, as well as photographer Francisco Kjolseth's gallery from the convention.