The county GOP Central Committee plans to huddle Tuesday night - the day after Workman's preliminary hearing on two felony charges - and several resolutions reportedly are being drafted. Party leaders could ask Workman to bow out and endorse another candidate.

Some names being batted around: Gov. Olene Walker, Ivory Homes founder Ellis Ivory, former Salt Lake City mayoral hopeful Molonai Hola and Rich McKeown, chief of staff to former Gov. Mike Leavitt.

"The next few days will be pivotal in the Nancy Workman saga," political consultant LaVarr Webb wrote in Friday's Utah Policy Newsletter.

"By this time next week, the party must have resolved whether it sticks with Workman or backs a write-in candidate," Webb said in the daily e-mail to politicos and policy-makers. "If Workman's legal prospects still look bleak after Monday's court hearing, she should voluntarily step aside, focus on her legal troubles, and let the party run with a write-in - the bigger name the better."

None would be bigger than Walker. Her spokeswoman, Amanda Covington, said the lame-duck governor is "flattered," but is focusing on being the state's chief executive right now.

Neither Hola, Ivory nor McKeown could be reached for comment.

Workman, who is on paid leave while facing two felonies for alleged misuse of public money, maintains her innocence and vows to prevail in court and on Election Day.

But with Workman polling so poorly - this week's Salt Lake Tribune survey pegged her support at 15 percent - some Republicans are not sure they want to wait.

"She probably should have pulled out when she got [charged]," former Rep. Jim Hansen said this week.

It made sense to fight on before the charges, Hansen said, but now she is starting to drag down other GOP candidates, such as those running for County Council.

A write-in challenger would face a tall task with only four weeks until voters cast their ballots.

Veteran pollster Dan Jones says it would take a well-known candidate with lots of money. Even then, it would be tough. "What's hard is to get people to remember to write in your name on the ballot," Jones said.

That doesn't mean party members won't try. "My guess is there are Republicans willing to spend the money because that really is a major office to have your party in control of," Jones said.

Merrill Cook, a former GOP congressman who is running unaffiliated for mayor, said the party should back him. "It's the only practical and reasonable way for the Republican Party to prevent the Democrat from winning," Cook said. "There's no reason at this late stage to do a write-in."

Democrat Peter Corroon holds at least a double-digit lead on his closest rival, according The Tribune poll.

Former County GOP Chairman John Solomon says he doesn't want the Central Committee to tell Workman what to do, but party leaders should stand up for party values.

"I would like to see a strong statement that, as Republicans, we support the highest ethical standard," Solomon said. "I don't want people thinking that the Republican Party supports unethical behavior."

The mayor still has die-hard backers.

"I'm still sticking with Mayor Nancy on this," Holladay Republican Greg Zenger said. "I believe what she stated, that it was a paperwork problem. And the timing seems political."

Short of a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Zenger says a write-in candidate wouldn't work.

For his part, Corroon says it's hard to say how he would do against a possible write-in candidate. "We're trying to focus on our campaign and focus on getting our message out."

tburr@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Robert Gehrke contributed to this story.