Washington • A week after formally announcing his first presidential bid, Mitt Romney whipped 500 Utahns into a frenzy at the posh Grand America Hotel, and sitting in the middle of the crowd of well-to-do Republicans were longtime Democrats John and Geri Gust.

It was February 2007, and the Magna couple didn't arrive by accident. They were there to see a man they admire, and before they left, they gave him the biggest campaign contributions of their lives.

In the process, they stamped their entry into an exclusive club. While thousands of Utahns donated to candidates in the last presidential election, only 28 individuals and couples split their donations between Romney, the overwhelming favorite in the state, and the eventual winner, President Barack Obama.

These 28 cross-party donors never had to pick between these candidates because Romney, a Mormon who led the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, lost his party's nomination to Sen. John McCain. But a showdown could be in order in 2012, because Romney is the front-runner in a crowded GOP field.

While it's early, no donor has given to both men this time around, though Romney has raised $1.3 million in the state to Obama's mere $67,000 as of the end of June.

Expect those numbers to rise dramatically. Back in the 2008 race, Romney received a record $5.5 million in contributions from Utah, while Obama pulled in more than $2 million. But of those who contributed to both, Obama was slightly favored — $61,000 to $58,000.

Geri Gust feels she's in the same position now as she was back in 2007, when she gave Romney $4,600 and Obama $500. She's a left-of-center voter with a soft spot for one Republican in particular.

"We've met Mitt and we like him. We think he is a good man, but we are kind of Democrats if you know what I mean," she said. "We really like Barack and what he stood for, too."

Beyond the Gusts, the list includes some prominent names such as Nathan Rafferty, the president of Ski Utah; Teresa Beck, a Questar board member; Geralyn Dreyfous with the Salt Lake City Film Center; and major political contributor Khosrow Semnani, founder of the radioactive waste company now owned by EnergySolutions.

Of these 28 split donors, 10 had never contributed to a federal candidate before, while eight were regular donors with a long history of supporting candidates from both parties. Most led a business.

At least two of them are Republicans, who made their first contribution to a Democrat, and on the flip side at least nine were Democrats giving a rare donation to a leading GOP candidate.

That includes John and Kristi Cumming of Park City, who own and manage ski resorts. Obama's campaign identified John D. Cumming as their only big-dollar bundler in the state, saying he gathered well over $100,000 to support his candidacy.

The couple held a fundraiser in Obama's honor, marking the only time the candidate visited the state and as a thank-you. The Democratic Party in Utah named Kristi Cumming as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

And yet the Cummings also gave $4,600 to Romney's campaign. Other than a one-time donation to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, neither had given to a Republican in a federal race before.

The Cummings did not respond to requests for comment but have previously told reporters that Romney is a friend.

"You can certainly see them give money to Romney because of a sense of personal connection there," said University of Utah political scientist Matthew Burbank. "One of the big things that really matters when it comes to giving to candidates is not ideology as much as some sort of personal contact."

And Romney has had plenty of that in Utah from his days leading the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, which likely brought him into contact with most people involved in winter sports, like the Cummingses.

But Burbank said other reasons people could be Romney and Obama donors is that they wanted to "hedge their bets" or they come from families of split allegiances.

"It shows the dynamic nature of campaigns," Burbank said.

Frank Joklik served as the Olympic organizing committee's president before handing Romney the reins to the then-financially troubled Games, so it's not a surprise that he supported his old friend in the 2008 contest. Yet his wife, Pamela, sent her donations to Obama.

"Pam and I have been married a long time, pretty close to half a century. We share many of the same interests. We often ski together, occasionally play golf together, but we don't always share the same political preferences," said Joklik, who says it is far too early in a 2012 race to decide whom to support.

Mary Crafts-Homer owns one of Utah's largest catering companies, Culinary Crafts in Orem, which brought her into a number of planning meetings for the Olympics and into close proximity with Romney.

"I felt like I knew the man. I worked enough with the individual to be very comfortable with who he is," she said.

Her husband at the time, Ron Crafts, preferred Obama and the two first-time donors decided to contribute to their favorite candidates. When Romney dropped out of the race in February 2008, Crafts-Homer ended up voting for Obama, in part because she disliked McCain's pick of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

She thinks Obama has done an admirable job, though she isn't a fan of some of his fiscal policies. She would donate in the 2012 race but not until the Republicans pick a candidate. And if it's Romney vs. Obama?

"I'm not sure where my allegiances lie," Crafts-Homer said.

That's not a problem for Mark Rawlins, who owns a software company in Orem. Just like in 2008, he plans to stand behind Romney. But if for some reason Romney doesn't make it, his default candidate is Obama.

Rawlins has donated only to Republicans before he gave Obama $4,600. He said he made that donation only after it was clear that Romney was out of the race.

"I donated to Romney mostly because I know people who know him," said Rawlins. "He was kind of one of us."

He also likes Romney's business background and thinks it's important for our nation's leaders to have executive experience. Like Romney, Rawlins is also Mormon but said that was not a serious consideration.

Rawlins said he didn't think McCain had the appropriate temperament to be president, while he was intrigued by Obama.

"I liked Barack Obama from the first time I heard him speak," said Rawlins, who has read both of Obama's books. "I think he is more moderate than he is painted by right-wing conservative critics as being."

He appreciated that Obama pushed for health reform, even if it isn't a perfect law.

"My guess is if it is clear Romney is not going to win, I would donate to Obama again," Rawlins said.

For St. George developer David Wilkey, it wasn't about the candidates as much as the people who supported them. He doesn't know Romney or Obama, and he has little interest attending fancy fundraisers.

"If someone has been given the responsibility to help in fundraising, I do it to support the person," said Wilkey, who described himself as a conservative.

He says he forms his own opinion of the candidates through these associations and not through the media. At this point, he said he could see himself sponsoring a fundraiser for Obama, Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Though he's not certain how he would vote, he doesn't seem to be inclined to kick out the president. "Incumbents seem to move to moderation. In some ways, I feel like if he gets another four years in there, it might be the best direction for the country," he said.

mcanham@sltrib.com