Campaign finance reports filed over the weekend show 2008 candidates raised more than $3 million in the Beehive State, a large amount for a state that usually doesn't give much money this early in a presidential election.
"Candidates can't afford to overlook even smaller states in their search for resources," says Kelly Patterson, director of Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy.
Not in a primary and general election cycle that could cost up to $1 billion when all the money is counted. Political observers estimate that candidates may need to raise $100 million each by the end of the year to stay in the top tier in the race, a large sum when considered against the $385 million spent by President Bush in the entire 2004 campaign.
In the first three months of the campaign, Romney, a Mormon, collected $2.77 million from Utah, home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That makes the state second only to California's $3.4 million, according to Romney's filing with the Federal Elections Commission.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and head of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, raised the most nationwide of the 2008 Republican contenders.
But Romney also showed heavy spending, burning through almost $11.6 million of the $23.4 million he raised. Included in the total raised was the candidate's $2.35 million loan to the campaign.
Romney spent $1.8 million on television commercials in key primary states to build name recognition.
That's not a bad thing, says Anthony Corrado, a professor at Colby College in Maine who specializes in campaign finances.
"He didn't have the celebrity factor to help him," Corrado says. "Much of what he got he had to earn. . . . What you're seeing here is very strategic spending: taking initial capital, investing it to make more money."
Romney - who was left with $11.8 million cash on hand, about the same as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - spent almost exactly as much as the top two Democratic presidential candidates combined. Hillary Clinton and Obama spent $5 million and $6.5 million, respectively, according to finance reports.
Romney easily won the funding race in Utah this past quarter, though other candidates also took money from residents. McCain, who held a fundraiser in the state recently, grabbed $113,249 from Utahns, and Giuliani, who also dropped by to raise cash, took in $76,150, reports show.
Even Democrats collected cash from the Beehive State. Obama's $28,414 led the Democratic field, though Sen. Hillary Clinton raked in $20,150. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson raised $10,650 from the state and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut got $6,450.
Obama seems to be attracting supporters in Utah, often considered the most conservative state in the union. Nearly 170 people have joined a grassroots group called Utahns for Obama.
"I think a lot of that has to do with Obama having a message that really inspires people," says Misty Fowler, a software engineer who is organizing the group. "His message just speaks to a lot of people."
Romney raised a good swath of his cash from some well-known Utahns, including $14,800 from the Eccles family and $10,200 from relatives of Stephen R. Covey. Several people related directly to the 2002 Olympics gave as well, including athletes Jim Shea, Derek Parra and Rulon Gardner, along with executives such as Lane Beattie, Fraser Bullock, Don Stirling and James Jardine.
Romney raised more than $60,000 from executives and employees of Utah's dietary supplements industry, including nearly $30,000 from those listing Xango as their employer and more than $25,000 from Nu Skin officials and workers.
Romney also took $2,300 from Khosrow Semnani, founder of the company formerly known Envirocare of Utah, now EnergySolutions.
The Huntsman family gave more money to McCain than Romney. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is a McCain supporter and he, along with his wife, two kids and his mother, gave checks to the Arizona senator totaling $17,100. Jon Huntsman Sr. and other family members gave Romney $11,100.
tburr@sltrib.com
