Washington » Rep. Rob Bishop is backing Senate colleague Bob Bennett's re-election campaign, but it's not the most winning endorsement.
"I told him I'd do that and he can count on my endorsement until I look him in the face and told him he no longer has it," Bishop said of Bennett. "I haven't done that yet."
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, won't even go that far.
"I'm going to keep my powder dry on this one," Chaffetz said, noting that he thinks Bennett has an incredibly tough fight ahead of him.
While Bennett and his GOP opponents -- Tim Bridgewater, Merrill Cook, Cherilyn Eagar and Mike Lee --- are lining up politicians and groups behind their campaigns, several high-profile Republicans are holding out, or at most, giving tepid endorsements in a race that splits the Utah Republican Party.
Bennett, who is seeking his fourth term, so far is touting some big names as supporters: former presidential candidate and Utah's adopted son, Mitt Romney, as well as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Not to be outdone, former gubernatorial general counsel Mike Lee nabbed the endorsement of the FreedomWorks political action committee and its head, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
Bridgewater chimed in this week with the endorsement of James Williams, a Utahn who dropped out of the race and put his stock in the former congressional candidate. Eagar has the backing of Phyllis Schlafly and the National Eagle Forum.
But some Utah GOP stars say they'd rather not sign up for anyone's campaign.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert praised Bennett, Bridgewater, Eagar and Lee but said he isn't going to weigh in on the race since he's essentially the titular party head in the state and it would be unfair to do so.
"I've got friends everywhere in this, so in deference to my friends I'm going to stay neutral," Herbert said.
Former governor Mike Leavitt, who served as Health and Human Service secretary and head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said he's sitting on the sidelines -- for now.
"I haven't endorsed any candidate in any race yet, but I won't hesitate to do so when the time is right," Leavitt said.
In Bishop's case, he downplays endorsements, noting that he doesn't believe delegates really care much what he thinks.
"It doesn't mean anything," Bishop says.
Don't tell that to the candidates in the race, though.
Matt Canham contributed to this story
