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SALT LAKE CITY -- With the election now less than two months away, there is a definite push to raise campaign cash.
Mitt Romney is preparing for a fundraising trip to Utah Tuesday - his last scheduled appearance here before Election Day.
Utah's contributions are an important part of the war chest for the Romney campaign. According to the Federal Elections Commission, Utahns have donated $4.8 million to Romney's campaign since he announced his second presidential bid last June.
This year alone, residents of the Beehive State have given $2 million, and the campaign is hoping to drastically increase that number Tuesday.
Romney will host a pair of events at the Grand America - a $25,000-per-person roundtable conversation and a luncheon for up to 750 people at $1,000 a plate. The campaign considered holding a free public rally in addition to the fundraiser, but his schedule is so tight, that idea had to be scrapped.
I think most of the people who give to Romney do so because they think he'll make a real difference for the country.
–Kirk Jowers
Longtime Romney confidant Kirk Jowers with the Hinckley Institute of Politics predicts a lot of support for the Republican presidential candidate.
"I think most of the people who give to Romney do so because they think he'll make a real difference for the country," he said.
It's been more than a year since Romney appeared at Hires Big H -- a public and free event that drew a huge crowd. Since then, Romney has breezed in for just hours at a time.
Jowers says the fundraisers are coming at a crucial time.
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In fact, every moment in time is crucial for Romney too. He's spending time in battleground states he needs to win, while at the same time preparing for upcoming crucial debates.
University of Utah senior Nelson Warr plans to volunteer at Tuesday's event.
Because of that, Warr says, Utah voters understand the quest for money and a tight schedule.
"Because of where we are, because of the kind of state we live in, we're not a battleground," said Warr. "But that's OK. We still believe in the message, we can still help out in other ways."
According to the Federal Elections Commission, Utahns have donated $4.8 million to the Romney campaign since he announced his presidential bid last June.
Democrat Jim Dabakis has good humor about the event, knowing it will probably generate significant cash.
"When he comes to Utah, he takes money away from Utah Republicans," he said. "It also means the time in Utah is not time in Ohio, in Colorado, or Nevada. We're always happy to have Gov. Romney visiting us here in Utah."
Both candidates are spreading themselves thin these days as they literally run out of time on the campaign trail.
