SALT LAKE CITY — A bill setting March 22 as the date for a Utah presidential primary election next year was passed out of a House committee Thursday, following a letter from Mitt Romney urging GOP leaders to stop party efforts to switch to a caucus.

Romney, who made two bids for the White House and now lives in Utah, said the state Republican Party's executive committee made "a bad decision" recently to use the caucus system to choose Utah's pick for the party's nominee in 2016.

His letter, delivered Wednesday to Gov. Gary Herbert and state GOP Chairman James Evans as well as House and Senate leaders, was not part of the House Government Operations Committee debate on HB329.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jon Cox, R-Ephraim, said setting the date for a primary readies the state for the election, expected to cost $3 million. But he told the committee that his bill did not mandate a presidential primary be held.

Evans testified that the state GOP is going forward with plans to hold a caucus vote, also on March 22, the day when Republicans will gather to choose delegates to participate in party nominating conventions.

The state GOP chairman backed the bill, saying he didn't want to prevent other political parties from using a state-operated primary election to pick their preferred presidential candidate.

Related:

Romney urges Utah primary, not caucus for 2016 election

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is criticizing a push from the Utah Republican Party to use a caucus system instead of a primary election next year when choosing the state's GOP's nominee for president.

The Utah Republican Party is currently battling the state in court over a compromise reached between lawmakers and backers of an initiative petition last year on the nominating process, saying the state shouldn't control party activities.

State Elections Director Mark Thomas told the committee "that's fine" if no presidential primary ends up being held, but the state needs to be prepared. He said discussions on the issue are ongoing with the Republican and Democratic parties.

The bill also allows the state to try limited online voting in the presidential primary. Currently, state law allows a separate presidential primary only in early February, too soon under the new rules adopted by the Republican National Committee.

In 2012, Utah opted to add the presidential candidates to the June primary ballot, saving the cost of an additional election. But that date is too late under the new GOP rules.

The bill passed the committee 6-1. The only opposition came from Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Ogden, who complained that Romney was hurt in 2012 by voter fatigue over the primary process.

"I’m not ready to commit $3 million to a primary when I see, in my view, there’s too darn many primaries around the county," Draxler said. "I don’t know that Utah needs to participate."

Later Thursday, Gov. Gary Herbert said wants to see a presidential primary in Utah in 2016 to encourage candidates to pay attention to the state in the upcoming election.

"We ought to do everything we can to get those who are going to lead our nation to stop by Utah," Herbert said, including holding the election the same day as other Western states to ensure focus on issues important to the region.

"I believe in presidential primaries," the governor said, noting he included $3 million for the election in his proposed budget. He said also believes in the caucus system, but "for the presidential election, it falls short."

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