Some LDS in Utah following McCain
After all, the majority of the state's population are LDS — and Republican — just like Romney. Plus, he's still revered by many Utahns for shepherding the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City from scandal to success.
But even though polls show Romney with a commanding lead in Utah over other presidential candidates, there are some prominent people in the state who are backing another Republican in the race for the White House: Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has received the most attention for endorsing McCain last year, but other well-known Utahns who are LDS have, too, including Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Utah Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble.
Huntsman said it's unfair to suggest all Utah Mormons would support Romney.
"Although dominated by one particular religion, I think we're heterogeneous (diverse) in our thinking. And I think that's healthy," the governor said. "That probably reflects a newer Utah."
Shurtleff, though, said he's "disappointed a lot of Mormons have supported Romney just because he's Mormon. ... If you think the only reason to support someone is because he's your same faith, I think that's the wrong reason."
The Mormons for McCain say they believe he has more to offer as a candidate. McCain, they say, has more experience with national issues than Romney, especially those dealing with the West.
"I'm not surprised that there are Mormons in Utah who are not voting for Romney," said Carl Raschke, chairman of the University of Denver's religious studies department. "If Romney were from Arizona, it might be different."
But Romney isn't from the West. He was raised in Michigan, where his late father, George, served as governor and launched a brief bid for the presidency in 1968. Mitt Romney spent much of his adult life in Boston and served a term as governor of Massachusetts after the Olympics.
"I think the novelty of having a Mormon as a serious contender in a national election probably appeals to a majority of Mormons," Raschke said. "But regional and cultural politics also play a factor. The issue is whether the religious factor trumps those."
Obviously, in some cases the answer is no.
"Having a candidate from the West, I think it brings a unique perspective and a valuable perspective," said Bramble, who has endorsed McCain even though his name appeared on a list of Romney supporters in the Utah Legislature. "To me, religion isn't a consideration."
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