This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fox News and the Republican National Committee will transform the Salt Palace on March 21 into an auditorium packed with excited Utah conservatives ready to witness the first presidential debate in the state's history.
But which candidates will appear on that stage? It could be as many as four and as few as two.
Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, has said he's had "enough" after a dozen debates and doesn't want to come to Salt Lake City, though he hasn't definitively ruled it out.
Gov. John Kasich has promised to end his campaign if he doesn't win Tuesday in his home state of Ohio, where polls show him in a tight race with Trump. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., could do the same if he doesn't claim a victory in Florida; four new surveys Monday showed him trailing the celebrity billionaire by a wide margin.
The only sure thing appears to be Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is second in delegates and trying to cut into Trump's lead in Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri, the other three states with contests Tuesday.
"It looks like there is going to be a debate," an excited James Evans, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, said Monday. "I don't see how Mr. Trump couldn't come, but we'll have to see what the results are tomorrow."
The GOP race then will shift to Utah and Arizona, which will award delegates March 22. The RNC added the Salt Lake City showdown, the day before these next contests, when it became clear no candidate would be able to claim the nomination outright for some time.
Fox News announced Monday that the debate will start at 7 p.m. with Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace moderating.
Part of Trump's complaints about another debate is that the questions have become repetitive and driven by networks seeking ratings. He has a point: This will be Fox News' fourth GOP primary debate. The other three have been the network's three highest-rated broadcasts ever. But that is also an indication of the interest in the raucous Republican nomination fight, which clearly extends into Utah, one of the nation's reddest states.
So far, the Utah Republican Party has received more than 50,000 requests for debate tickets, though how many tickets will eventually be available and how attendees will be selected remain unclear.
"We regret that it has taken this long to know what the logistics are," said Enid Mickelsen, a former congresswoman serving as Utah's national committeewoman. "Now that it has been announced, we will move as quickly as we can."
The Utah GOP did send an email to those who asked for a ticket, suggesting that donors, delegates and other party insiders may get preferential treatment, as could veterans, first responders, educators, community activists and accomplished young voters.
The party will get a chunk of whatever tickets are available as will the candidates who participate. Recent debates have had audiences ranging from a few hundred to about 5,000. The Utah Democratic Party is holding a free GOP debate watch party that evening at The Depot, located in The Gateway mall.
Utahns will have chances to see many of the candidates throughout the week. Rubio's campaign has said he'll be here Wednesday and part of Thursday, but it has released no details. Kasich has two rallies and a town hall planned for Friday. While Cruz's team hasn't released plans for any events, nor has Trump's, party insiders say there's a decent chance both will make at least one public appearance.
It is possible that the two Democratic candidates, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will make appearances in the days leading up to the March 22 caucuses.
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will be in Salt Lake City to campaign for her mother Tuesday. She will have breakfast with Latino leaders at La Puente, 3540 S. State St., at 8:45 a.m., then stop by the Hillary for Utah campaign headquarters before going to a "Women for Hillary" 2 p.m. organizing event.
Voters can find out where to attend their caucus meetings by going to caucus.utah.gov. The Republicans are also holding online voting, though to participate in that, voters must register by March 15 at http://www.utah.gop.