But the recorded phone message is being sent out by Democrats, who are using Romney's criticism of one-party rule to rustle up support for their scrappy slate of legislative candidates.

Utah Republican Party Chairman Stan Lockhart said he thinks it is unethical for Democrats, who have made ethical conduct a campaign issue this year, to invoke Romney's name.

“Its another last-minute, desperate attempt to pull these election tricks in an effort to deceive the public, and its wrong,” said Lockhart. “It's misleading, it's out of context, and it's without Mitt Romney's permission.”

But Utah County Democratic Party Chairman Richard Davis said the statements were made by a public figure, at public events and are available on the Internet and are "fair game."

“We felt like it was important that even Gov. Romney felt that there were problems with a lack of balance, in a one-party state,” Davis said. “This was what he said at one time, and we felt like it was important for people to understand that.”

A spokesman for Romney did not return a phone call or e-mail Saturday.

Romney, who ran the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, received 94 percent of the Republican vote in Utah County during the party's 2008 presidential primary, as well as 90 percent of the vote statewide.

The recorded phone message, which is narrated by former television news anchor Dick Nourse, introduces Romney talking about “the dangers of partisanship and one-party state.”

“I'm not convinced that a state would be better off with all Republicans. As a matter of fact, I've been in a state like that for the last three years. It's not a good thing,” Romney says.

At the end, Romney says, “I lived in a place that had a one-party state that was primarily Republican. I thought, 'Well, won't that be nice.' The answer is, 'No.' ”

“This year when you go to vote, look at the person, not the party,” the narrator concludes.

Davis said Romney's comments are significant, in light of a letter he sent to voters urging them to vote Republican.

“The reality is that Gov. Romney has said things that maybe a one-party state is not necessarily a desirable thing,” said Davis, who thinks Republicans are scared by the insurgent Democrats.

“I think they're worried and I think they should be,” Davis commented. “We have operated quite an efficient campaign to get our message out that our candidates are viable, that they're qualified, that they're even better than the people the Republicans have put up.”

gehrke@sltrib.com