By THOMAS BURR, Salt Lake Tribune

Former Utah Gov.

WASHINGTON - Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is undoubtedly one of the Mormon Church's biggest benefactors.

His recently released tax documents show he paid some $4.1 million to the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the last two years. That's in addition to millions he's paid over the last decade through a family charity.

WASHINGTON - Jon Huntsman has many options as he walks away from the Republican presidential race: Run for the Senate? Step back into business? Aim for a Cabinet or other government post?

WASHINGTON - It has been about one month since former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced his campaign to be the Republican nominee for president. Maybe he should ask for a do-over.

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman was elected twice as Utah's governor, the last time with 78 percent of the vote.

But rival GOP contender Mitt Romney could easily say that the state still loves him more.

In a series of recent steps, Romney, who helped rescue the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has invaded Huntsman's home turf.

WASHINGTON - Jon Huntsman has lost the junior.

When he was governor of Utah, Huntman's name was almost always listed as Jon Huntsman Jr., in a nod to his namesake father, the wealthy industrialist and philanthropist who until 2004 was the only Jon Huntsman with whom the state was familiar.

SALT LAKE CITY - Just a couple of months ago, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar strongly defended his new "wild lands" policy before a congressional committee as an effort to preserve sensitive areas.

Now, he's taking it all back.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Under the conventional wisdom about Southern Baptists -- a group that has in the past condemned Mormonism as a cult and its followers as non-Christian -- devout Baptist Rex Rish should quickly dismiss the idea of voting for a Mormon for president.

Except that he doesn't.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr. on Sunday didn't head to one of the six Mormon churches in the Charleston, S.C., area where he was visiting potential supporters and donors while deciding whether to launch a presidential bid.

One year from today, Iowa residents will storm their local high schools, city halls and other caucus locales to select their choice for the Republican presidential nomination.

And if Jon Huntsman Jr. wants the nod, he best get moving.