Utah Republicans gear up for top races in what seems like the 'last bastion of civility'

In the Trump era, voters from coast to coast have grown accustomed to major political candidates boasting of their genitalia size, insulting others' intelligence and casting their opponents as heretics or even nefarious national traitors — in 49 states.

Utah's politics and elections, however, have largely remained civil even as races elsewhere often devolve into blood sport, a politeness that local officeholders and party experts say is fueled by several factors like the state's unique religious makeup.

Now, with an open Senate and a gubernatorial race on tap for November, political observers in Utah are hoping their tradition of courtesy doesn't bend and break under the weight of an increasingly caustic national environment.

«There's been some cute little dirty tricks. But compared to the rest of the nation, Utah is about as tame as it gets,» said former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. «It won't be rock' em, sock' em like you see in other parts of the country.»

«In Utah, it matters how you do things, and that's just ingrained in our culture and who we are,» Chaffetz told ABC News. «I still think they're looking for a fighter, somebody who will fight for Utah. But how you fight does matter.»

Utah Republicans will pick a new senator from a crowded field to replace retiring Republican Mitt Romney, a party elder and former GOP presidential nominee who established rapport with members of both parties during his one term on Capitol Hill.

Among the Republicans vying to replace him are Rep. John Curtis; Brent Hatch, a Federalist Society treasurer and son of late Sen. Orrin Hatch; Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs; and state House Speaker Brad Wilson.

All have cast themselves as conservative fighters, and some have tied themselves closely to