Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Tuesday that it is still early in the presidential race and he is satisfied with his campaign's position.

"This is an unsettled field. These are the dog days of summer," he said during a visit to Utah. "[The field] will remain unsettled for probably another month or two until you get into September, you get the debates and the field solidifies somewhat."

Huntsman is polling in the low single digits, far back in the field of Republican presidential contenders, which in the past week shrunk by one with former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's departure, but grew by one with Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumping into the race and immediately contending for the mantle of GOP front-runner.

"I like our position. We're coming from a position here of finding solutions," Huntsman said. "We have a broken economy. This country has hit a wall. People are frightened and scared for the first time in a very long time. They're looking for answers and solutions. During the fall season, that's what you'll hear."

Quin Monson, associate director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University, said it will take a bold move and some luck for Huntsman to claw his way into being a true contender.

"He's been relegated at the moment to the second tier," Monson said, "and the way out of that wilderness is strong fundraising and dramatic movement by the campaign and probably some good luck — somebody makes a gaffe or does something stupid and he's there to pick up the pieces."

Huntsman would not address recent comments by Perry that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be treated "pretty ugly down in Texas" if he visited, and that any move to print more currency before the election would be "almost treasonous, in my opinion."

"I'm not going to comment on Rick. He's new to the race and we'll see where it goes," Huntsman said. But he said there is enough space for Perry to join the already-crowded GOP field.

Monson said Perry's entry into the race probably doesn't hurt Huntsman much, because the Texas governor is appealing to a more conservative wing of the party than Huntsman is targeting. Mitt Romney is more of an obstacle than Perry, Monson said.

Huntsman was in Salt Lake City on Tuesday for a fundraiser with young supporters, which the campaign has dubbed "Generation H." More than 60 people gave at least $100 to attend the event at Aristo's, a Greek restaurant near the University of Utah.

He was scheduled to attend another fundraiser Tuesday evening at the home of Zions Bank President Scott Anderson, the campaign's national finance co-chairman. Huntsman then was to fly to California on Wednesday to raise money there.

Romney is scheduled to be in Utah on Friday for a pair of private fundraisers in Cache County.

A recent poll conducted for The Salt Lake Tribune shows Romney dominating Huntsman in Utah, by a margin of 71 percent to 13 percent.