OREM, Utah — As he led a crowd of picnicking families in the “YMCA” dance, Trent Staggs gleefully waved a “Utah for Trump” flag at a recent campaign rally — one more not-so-subtle reminder to voters that he is backed by the former president in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney.

That endorsement propelled Staggs, the mayor of Riverton, a Salt Lake City suburb he leads, to victory at the state’s Republican convention in April, where delegates lean far-right. But his credentials with Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement may not be enough to win Tuesday’s primary, when Utah’s more muted GOP electorate gets its say.

The election will determine whether the state wants another moderate conservative like Romney — U.S. Rep. John Curtis is considered the front- runner in the race — or a farther-right candidate. The vote could have larger implications for how Utah fits in with the evolving dynamics of the national Republican Party, which the former president has largely reshaped in his own image.

“We have somebody in John Curtis who would just be a continuation of Mitt Romney,” Staggs said during the rally just north of Provo, the city where Curtis once was mayor. “I don’t want another senator that has a disharmonious relationship with President Trump.”

Curtis is the longest-serving member of the House delegation for Utah, a rare Republican stronghold that has half-heartedly embraced Trump, whose brash style and comments about refugees and immigrants do not sit well with many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. About half of the state’s 3.4 million residents belong to the faith known widely as the Mormon church.

Despite losing at the convention, Curtis qualified for the primary ballot using a signature-gathering method created years ago as a work-around for moderate candidates to ensure that their prospects were not doomed by the staunch conservatives who regularly attend conventions.

Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said Curtis is “in a very good position.” The Republican primary winner is highly favored to win in November over Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970.

Even if Trump’s influence has grown in the state, his supporters could be split between Staggs and two other candidates who say they back Trump’s agenda, former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson and businessman Jason Walton. Wilson was considered a strong candidate to win at convention, but his loss there to Staggs has relegated him to a long shot in the primary.

Curtis is looking to carve out his own brand of conservatism in the post-Romney era of Utah politics, with a focus on bringing Republicans to the table on issues involving climate change. But with a voting record that mostly aligns with Trump’s positions, Curtis says he is more conservative than people realize.

The congressman, 64, takes the concept of a campaign trail more literally than most. He hosted hikes with constituents to chat about the environment and to get to know them while out in nature.

As founder of the Conservative Climate Caucus on Capitol Hill, he has dedicated himself to teaching fellow Republicans about the consequences of climate change, pushing back against party leaders who have falsely claimed it is a hoax and played down the effects of rising temperatures caused by fossil fuel emissions.

Staggs, 50, has promoted his endorsement by the Oil & Gas Workers Association, and he said he would prioritize energy dominance over reducing emissions. Staggs was the first to enter the race, even before Romney announced he was not seeking reelection.