New Poll: Utah Rep. Mia Love in Tight Race With Democratic Challenger
Survey finds Salt Lake County mayor leads among independents, trails among Mormons
A new poll in Utah shows Rep. Mia Love essentially tied with the Democrat she is likely to face in the general election this November.
Love, a second-term Republican, led Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams 47 percent to 43 percent in the 4th District race, the Utahpolicy.com survey found. Ten percent were undecided.
“This poll reflects what the mayor is hearing from voters out on the campaign trail,” McAdams campaign manager Andrew Roberts said in a statement Thursday. “People are fed up with the political games in Washington D.C. and are hungry for a leader who will roll up their sleeves and work to find solutions to the problems we all face here at home.”
“Mayor McAdams has a proven track record of putting people over party and working across the aisle to get things done. This poll shows that message is resonating,” he added.
A spokesperson for Love’s campaign could not immediately be reached for comment. Both are running unopposed in the June 26 primary.
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The poll was conducted by Dan Jones & Associates from May 15 through June 5. It surveyed 405 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
If McAdams has any shot at unseating Love, history indicates he’ll need to do well among political independents in the district.
The poll released Wednesday suggests he is succeeding in that realm so far.
Sixty-one percent of independents said they would vote for McAdams if the election were today. Just 26 percent said they’d vote for Love. Thirteen percent said they were undecided.
Though Love and McAdams are both Mormon, Love polled better among Mormons who consider themselves “somewhat active” or “very active,” a big chunk of the voting bloc in the district.
McAdams currently represents much of the 4th District. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, 85 percent of district voters reside in Salt Lake County.
Love was first elected in 2014 in her second attempt, besting Democrat Doug Owens, the son of former Rep. Wayne Owens. She succeeded retiring Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson, who narrowly defeated her in 2012, while Mitt Romney was carrying the seat by 37 points.
President Donald Trump carried the district by 7 points in 2016. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Leans Republican.Bridget Bowman contributed to this report.
