Romney's exit disappoints strong Utah following

SALT LAKE CITY - Mitt Romney's withdrawal from the presidential race Thursday caught some of his most devoted supporters by surprise and disappointed many who hoped the nation would elect its first Mormon president.

Romney, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints like 60 percent of the Utah's residents, had raised more than $5.2 million here and won the state's primary on Tuesday with almost 90 percent of the Republican vote.

He was also heavily favored to win in neighboring Idaho, another state with a significant Mormon population.

"It was like having a home state candidate that had a shot at this - and Utah doesn't get that very often," said Roberta Herzberg, head of Utah State University's political science department.

"It was clearly a link to 'something I know about you, something I share about you, we're the same faith,"' she said. "It makes people more safe and attached in their loyalties."

With the notable exception of popular Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman, who endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain, nearly every Republican politician in the state backed Romney.

"I'm sad," said state Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan. "He really brought something to the table in economic development and experience as governor."

Exit poll data from Tuesday's primary elections showed Utah Republican voters cared more about presidential candidates' personal qualities than their positions on issues, the opposite of the national trend in Super Tuesday voting.

"There'll be a fairly strong sense of disappointment," said University of Utah political scientist Matthew Burbank. "John McCain, for whatever set of reasons, has never been all that popular with Utah voters."

By suspending his campaign, Romney holds onto his delegates, at least until the party convention this summer.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Republican Party Chairman Stan Lockhart. "Right now, we're still Romney delegates."

Some of Romney's backers said they're already looking to future elections, contending Romney could still be president.

"Absolutely," said Romney supporter Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. "Republicans love to take kind of the next person in line. That was true with (President Ronald) Reagan, (former Kansas Sen. Bob) Dole and now McCain. I think most people would consider Romney next in line, whether it's 2012 if a Democrat wins in 2008 or perhaps 2016 if Senator McCain wins."

Many Utah voters said they trusted Romney on economic issues. He is widely praised here for running the profitable 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

In most Super Tuesday states, Republican voters said they thought Romney was only slightly better equipped to manage the economy than front-runner John McCain. But in Utah, nine out of 10 GOP voters said they would trust Romney most with the nation's finances.

"I'm very disappointed," said state Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem. "Of course I wanted him to go all the way. But what I view him doing is that he's withdrawing now for the benefit of the party."

Burbank said there's little question Republicans here will come around to support McCain in a general election. Utah is one of the nation's most conservative states, and President Bush won re-election in 2004 with 72 percent of the vote.

The only state with a significant Mormon population and backing not to have held a caucus or primary is Idaho.

Supporters there said they were disappointed Romney withdrew, but pleased he fared so well.

"I think that the general public's acceptance of Mitt Romney, a Mormon, being a viable candidate for president says a lot for the good he did to dispel many of the misunderstandings and misperceptions of the LDS faith," said Frank VanderSloot, an eastern Idaho Mormon who was one of 30 national finance co-chairmen for his campaign.

Romney handily won a straw poll at the GOP winter meeting last month and was seen as the favorite to win. Many politicians there backed Romney too, including Idaho Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, who was Romney's Idaho campaign chairman.

When asked if Romney's departure hurts Idaho, Risch said he believed Gem State Republicans would ultimately rally around McCain.

"Obviously he had friends here and was well connected here. There is no question he was popular here," Risch said. "But you don't want perfection to get in the way of what's good for the whole. I have no doubt that the Republican party will close ranks behind John McCain."

While a lot of attention focused on Romney's religion, particularly in the South, many here believe Romney blazed a trail that showed the rest of the country that Mormons are not odd.

"We really don't have horns," said Valentine, a Mormon. "I think the country's now recognizing it's the quality of the man or woman running that matters."

----

Associated Press Writer Todd Dvorak contributed to this report from Boise, Idaho.