And since Avereti lives in the reddest of the red states, she's doing pretty much the only thing she can to help the New York senator: She gave her $250.

"She's a very competent woman," Avereti says of Clinton, a potential 2008 presidential contender. "She has the experience that this country needs."

While Republicans clean up with fundraising in Utah and dominate elected offices, some Utahns turn to giving to out-of-state Democrats to exercise their liberal tendencies or for other, more mundane reasons.

Clinton, for example, has gleaned nearly $13,000 out of Utahns since January 2005.

Other Democrats - including those regularly referred to by Republicans as the liberal bogeymen - are picking up a few bucks from the Beehive State as well.

This election cycle, January 2005 to July 10, Sen. John Kerry has taken in $11,000, Howard Dean accepted $2,800 and even Rep. John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran who made headlines for suggesting America withdraw troops from Iraq, has garnered $3,000.

So far this election cycle, Utahns have given $220,525 to out-of-state Democrats, according to a donations analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics for The Salt Lake Tribune.

The center's analysis included individual and political action committee donations to federal candidates and their PACs.

"We don't need any more George Bush people," says Avereti, a real estate agent and self-proclaimed die-hard Democrat who says she never reads the paper when the Utah Legislature is in session. "I really dislike the man."

Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell brought in the most money from Utahns, $24,175, followed by Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin. Clinton ranked third.

Bush's last opponent, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, carried only 26 percent of Utahns' vote, but he has pulled in $11,000 from the state.

"We tend to focus on polarization," says Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "But what's worth remembering is in the reddest state in the nation, you still have a lot of blue people.

"Same is true in the blue states like Massachusetts, you still have red people."

Republicans, of course, command the most cash in Utah without question. That's especially true with potential '08 candidates.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon and 2002 Olympics chief at the Salt Lake Games, has attracted $208,000 from Utahns just to his federal political action committee. Arizona Sen. John McCain's PAC took in $66,000, and Virginia Sen. George Allen has culled $18,500.

But Utah residents also have given just over $10,000 to Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat challenging Sen. Conrad Burns, an endangered Republican snared in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

And Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat challenging Sen. Rick Santorum, pulled in $6,450 from Utahns, including former FBI Special Agent Joseph Cwik.

"He was sort of a lap dog for President Bush," Cwik says of Santorum. But Cwik counts himself as an independent and even filed as a Republican to challenge Democratic state Sen. Gene Davis. Cwik lost in convention.

"I'm kinda in a mode of re-elect no one," Cwik says, saying incumbents are focused on the wrong things. "I'm very much in favor of leading a revolt, but I don't really have the time to do that."

As with many donations, some of the cash stream to Democrats appears to be flowing because the politician is in a prime spot.

Obey, of Wisconsin, has accepted $16,800, all from the Cumming family. John D. Cumming is president and chief executive officer of Powdr, which owns the Park City Mountain Resort.

Obey is the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, one of the more powerful spots in the chamber.

Murtha, the Vietnam veteran who supports a troop withdrawal from Iraq, got his $3,000 from Utahns apparently not for his political stance but for his powerful position. Murtha is the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Ashok Joshi, president of the Salt Lake City firm of Ceramatec, gave $1,000 to Murtha, Joshi says, at the request of one of his largest clients, Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

Two other people listed with that company gave $1,000 as well.

Ceramatec has received several Defense Department contracts since 2002, including nearly $1.8 million worth in 2004 and $426,000 in 2005.

Joshi says it's good business to give campaign donations and he isn't a liberal at all. In fact, he has given more money to Utah's delegation, including GOP Rep. Chris Cannon and Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett.

"I'm in business, so I'm a Republican and a Democrat," Joshi said when asked his political affiliation.

One of Utah's top Democratic donors, Bruce Bastian, co-founder of WordPerfect and a gay-rights advocate, donates to candidates across the nation, chipping in a total of $69,350 to Democratic candidates and organizations this reporting cycle.

But some Utahns feel even a small donation to a Democrat outside the state is worth it.

"Democratic dollars do not get a lot of bang for the buck in Utah," says William J. Evans, a Salt Lake City attorney who gave $250 to Ed Perlmutter, who is seeking a Democratic nomination in Colorado.

"That wasn't the entire reason [to give], but it did make me feel like I was getting something accomplished by giving to that campaign."

tburr@sltrib.com