SALT LAKE CITY — The head of the Democratic National Committee campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Salt Lake City on Thursday as the state's minority party steps up its push to turn Utah blue.

Clinton is running behind Republican Donald Trump and independent Evan McMullin in Utah in the most recent polls. But the candidates are close enough to make the state an unforeseen presidential battleground.

"We're not giving up. We're going to continue to canvass this state. We're going to continue to encourage people to vote. We're going to continue to put the issues out there for the people of Utah to know the difference between Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and others," said DNC interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile.

The DNC's "Forward Together" bus tour rolled into Utah's capital city Thursday, stopping at the Salt Lake City-County Building where about 200 energetic Clinton supporters gathered to hear Brazile speak.

Walter Garcia, DNC western region communications director, said the tour through several states is about "making sure we deliver that closing argument."

"It's time to get your votin' groove on," Brazile said, leading the crowd to chant, "I will vote."

Brazile urged Democrats to send a message of "resounding, joyful noise" to Washington.

"I know you can send that. I've heard your tabernacle. I have the cassette tapes," she said, referring to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

'Unprecedented'

In any other year, a Democratic bus tour would have sped through Utah without touching the brakes. But 2016 isn't an ordinary year.

"Unprecedented. Nothing in the textbooks like this," said Tim Chambless, a University of Utah political science professor.

While Trump has dropped in recent Utah polls and McMullin has risen, Clinton has maintained just over a quarter of the vote. Election forecaster Nate Silver, of FiveThirtyEight, gives Clinton about a 9 percent chance of winning Utah based on aggregating 44 polls in the state dating back to last December.

Chambless said he would have expected Clinton to do better, perhaps rise to 30 percent or higher in the polls, given Utah voters' ambivalence toward Trump.

It could still happen because of the Democrats' get-out-the-vote effort, large influx of Clinton surrogates, and more money and ads coming into the state compared with the Trump campaign, he said.

Brazile said having five staff members and the bus in Utah show the party's commitment to the state.

"We're not going to take anybody for granted, especially the people of Utah," said Brazile, who managed Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign.

Not everyone is excited

Utah Republican Party Chairman James Evans called on state Democratic leaders to denounce Brazile over information she shared with the Clinton campaign about a death penalty question in a March town hall broadcast on CNN.

Brazil, a CNN and ABC contributor at the time, allegedly wrote in the subject line of an email: "From time to time I get the questions in advance." The email was included in a release of hacked emails by Wikileaks of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

"The dishonesty in the Democratic National Committee is astounding," Evans said in a statement.

Brazile told reporters after the rally Thursday that she "regrets" that Podesta's emails were "stolen and used in such a way to sew confusion and discomfort."

"Once upon a time, we as Americans believed that anytime a foreign government interfered, we would condemn, not just as political parties but as patriots," she said.

Brazile said she's looking forward to voters talking about the issues in the campaign and "not spending much of our time reviewing stolen, hacked emails."

Can Clinton win Utah?

Verona Mauga, of Taylorsville, said having Brazile in the state is "huge."

"It says that women, not just women but women of color, are important," she said.

Mauga said there's a lot of interest in Utah because the state is "not going to put up with Donald Trump. I think he's done way too much and said way too much. There's enough decent people here in Utah to make a difference."

Utah Democratic Party Chairman Peter Corroon said Democratic voting is up 33 percent so far, "but we're still outnumbered." More registered Democrats have cast ballots in Salt Lake County than registered Republicans, who appear to be in wait-and-see mode.

"The reason why is because every day is an October surprise," Chambless said, attributing that to Trump's unpredictability.

University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato is keeping Utah as a toss-up, but is starting to like McMullin's chances.

"Do we know this for sure? No, we do not. But McMullin has the momentum in Utah, he’s campaigning hard, and many members of the LDS Church have embraced him as a welcome alternative to Trump and Clinton," according to Sabato's Crystal Ball.

As a Mormon, BYU graduate and traditional conservative, McMullin is positioned to grow his support, Sabato said.

Chambless said it's unprecedented that the ultimate winner in Utah might only get a little more than 30 percent of the vote.

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