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Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner, will make her first visit to Utah during her 2016 campaign next month, holding a fundraiser at a posh Park City home.
"I think it's always exciting to have a presidential candidate come to Utah and, of course, from my perspective, it's great to have a Democrat coming to Utah this early in the campaign," said Utah Democratic Party Chairman Peter Corroon. "I think it shows Utah is playing a more prominent role in politics."
The event, billed as a "Conversation with Hillary," is available to those who give between $500 and $2,700. It is being held at the home of Barry and Amy Baker, who have hosted the Clintons before.
Barry Baker is the former president of USA Networks and is a senior adviser to Lee Equity Partners, LLC, a private equity and venture-capital firm. Amy Baker spent 20 years at NBC News.
Clinton, the former secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York and first lady, holds a wide lead over the Democratic field and all of the Republican contenders in head-to-head polling.
But she is a polarizing figure reviled among Republicans.
"I'm sure she'll get a very positive reaction from most of the Democratic faithful. I'm not so sure the feelings will be the same on the Republican side," Corroon said.
Utah Republican Party Chairman James Evans said he isn't surprised Clinton is coming to Utah — the Democratic candidates have in the past — and he doesn't expect her visit to stir up protests.
"They come to Park City several times and I would expect her to visit with the liberal elite, as she certainly is not connected to the everyday American," Evans said. "I don't think people are going to go out of their way to protest her. We'll be respectful because everybody knows who she is and what she's about. So there's nothing else to really say other than certainly she will be a disaster as president. I think people already know that."
Evans said he expects prominent Republican candidates to visit the state for fundraisers, possibly as early as next month.
Six of the Republican contenders already visited Utah last month — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. Jon Kasich, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and businesswoman Carly Fiorina — for an annual Deer Valley retreat with donors and politicos hosted by Mitt Romney.
In April, Clinton became the first presidential hopeful to hire staff in Utah, engaging Ben Haynes, an American Fork native who worked to re-elect Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill and on the Count My Vote initiative, to lead the Clinton campaign efforts in Utah.
In 2008, Clinton lost the Democratic presidential primary in Utah to then-Sen. Barack Obama, 57 percent to 39 percent, as Obama went on to win the nomination and the White House.