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• The “win or go home” Republican state convention is only hours away, and the pressure mounts on the six major gubernatorial candidates. They are hustling for every advantage possible and that means last-minute surprises are likely.

• Special interest groups are also weighing in during the final hours, with several associations and organizations making endorsements. In addition, candidates are trotting out endorsements letters and comments from their prominent supporters in last-ditch attempts to impress delegates. Rumors are also flying about possible last-minute deals.

• Interesting facts about the 3,500 delegates (according to a Dan Jones & Associates delegate survey): 48 percent are first-time state delegates; 71 percent are male; 29 percent are female; 12 percent are public school educators; 8 percent are affiliated with banks and similar institutions; 3 percent are affiliated with credit unions.

• Asked to rate themselves ideologically on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being very liberal and 10 being very conservative, the mean score was 7.57, which is, indeed, very conservative.

• Two of the biggest political contenders in Utah, Utah’s community banks and the large credit unions, have taken different approaches to the convention. The banks, which have won most political fights with the big credit unions, have chosen not to support or oppose any particular gubernatorial candidate. That is the case, in part, because all of the candidates with a real shot at winning are generally supportive of the state’s current progressive policy regarding banks and credit unions.

• Despite not endorsing a candidate, the banks organized in a big way for the 2004 campaign, with several hundred bank employees winning delegate slots for county and state conventions, more than double the number of delegate slots held by credit unions employees.

• The credit union lobby didn’t endorse a candidate, but did send out a letter opposing one candidate, current House Speaker Marty Stephens. Singling out a candidate for criticism, however, can sometimes backfire, and the letter apparently upset a large number of Republican legislators, who felt the attack on Stephens was an attack on the Republican Legislature. They sent out a letter blasting the credit union lobby.

• So what will happen at the convention? The delegate vote is highly volatile and anything could happen. But the delegates by now know the candidates well, and they have good judgment and instincts. The best candidates will emerge.