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Washington • Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman was elected twice as Utah's governor, the last time with 78 percent of the vote.
But rival contender Mitt Romney could easily say that the state still loves him more.
In a series of recent steps, Romney, who helped rescue the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has invaded Huntsman's home turf.
On Wednesday, he heralded the endorsement of nearly all of the state's top leaders. That follows his standing-room-only rally June 24 at an iconic Utah burger joint — sandwiched between two private fundraisers — and efforts by some of his closest backers to launch an effort to move up the state's presidential primary that he's expected to win.
Romney himself didn't answer a question last week about whether this was an orchestrated effort, but the moves make clear that the former Massachusetts governor is flexing his Utah muscles.
"I think it's an effort to have a strong talking point elsewhere, which is, 'The voters of Utah know both of us and it's clear whom they prefer, and if Jon Huntsman was such a hot-shot governor, such a successful governor, so wildly popular among Republicans in a Republican state why aren't they supporting him for president?' " says Stuart Rothenberg, a political analyst and publisher of the Rothenberg Political Report.
Such an argument could provide ammunition for Romney in key battleground states like New Hampshire with voters weighing the two candidates, Rothenberg adds.
Romney offered the latest volley on Wednesday, releasing a long list of Utah officials who have signed up to back his campaign.
Those in the Romney column now include: Sen. Orrin Hatch, Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Rob Bishop, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and 16 of the 22 GOP state senators and 42 of the 58 House Republicans.
Romney, in announcing his Utah endorsements, took a victory lap in lauding his "deep level" of support in the state.
"I formed a strong bond with many Utah residents and officials during my time running the Olympics and continue to appreciate the support of so many in the state," Romney said.
Ron Bonjean, a Washington-based political strategist, says he sees Romney's move as an attempt to tamp down any momentum Huntsman might gain from telling voters how popular he was in the Beehive State.
"What he's doing is trying to stop a narrative on Huntsman's popularity from growing beyond the state of Utah by trying to drive some support in his camp so it doesn't become part of the national conversation," Bonjean says.
But Huntsman still has his friends in Utah, too.
House Majority Whip Greg Hughes is backing the former governor and says he already had a call from one person Romney listed as supporting him who claims he offered no endorsement.
That lawmaker, Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, instead has formally endorsed Huntsman.
Hughes agrees Romney is trying to stake claim over Utah as a way to hurt Huntsman's chances.
"There's a message that's trying to be sent," Hughes says, adding that he was surprised to see so many lawmakers lining up behind Romney instead of Huntsman.
"In 2008, there were many of my colleagues who asked and had Huntsman's assistance in their campaign, through auto-dials and direct mail," Hughes says. "I don't know that Romney has ever weighed in individually for a single lawmaker in this state. We've not seen that type of cooperation with Romney that we've seen with our governor."
On the other hand, Sen. Mike Lee, who has now declined personal requests by both Huntsman and Romney for his endorsement, says it makes sense for Romney to peddle his Utah support given the level of votes and money the candidate drew from the state previously.
"Utah is a natural place for him to focus and I'm not surprised that he's seeking support there," says Lee, who served as Huntsman's general counsel for 18 months.
Huntsman's campaign declined to comment for this story.