SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Donald Trump faces an uphill battle in Utah’s caucuses Tuesday, but he could still walk away with delegates if sharp divisions within the party prevent anyone from winning a majority.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is likely to do well in Utah, a conservative state that prizes civility and religiosity. Cruz has been helped by the support of Mitt Romney, the GOP’s last presidential nominee who holds clout among the state’s predominantly Mormon voters. On Monday the Texas senator also picked up the endorsement of Utah Gov. Gary Herbert.
But Ohio Gov. John Kasich is fighting back in Utah, hoping his more pragmatic approach and longtime governing experience will net him delegates there. He has invested heavily in Utah in recent days, airing $215,000 in ads — the fifth highest amount he’s spent in any state so far. That includes one web ad that falsely implies Romney backed him, rather than Cruz in Utah.
According to Utah state regulations, if no candidate wins more than half of the caucus votes, each of the three candidates will be awarded delegates proportionally. The candidate who can win Utah by more than 50 percent will walk away with all 40 delegates.
Trump could significantly benefit from those rules if Cruz doesn’t win the majority, since it would ultimately bump up his lead. The former reality television star goes into Tuesday’s contests as the national front-runner with 680 delegates in hand. Cruz has 424 and Kasich has 143.