From Deseret News archives:
Utah Demos face uphill battle, polls show
Huntsman, Shurtleff hold commanding leads
Completed Thursday night, the new survey of 601 registered voters by Dan Jones & Associates finds that Huntsman leads Democrat Bob Springmeyer 77-13 percent.
Shurtleff, who seeks a third, four-year term as Utah's chief law enforcement officer, leads Democrat Jean Welch Hill, 61-16 percent.
The survey, taken Sept. 8-11, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. Jones, an independent pollster, has also done polling for Huntsman this year.
The latest head-to-head results mirror a Jones poll taken for the newspaper and TV station in late June. And so it is clear that neither Springmeyer nor Hill have made much headway over the summer.
"This shows that Utahns feel very good about the governor and the job he is doing," said Greg Hartley, Huntsman's campaign manager.
"We're taking nothing for granted. We will run a strong campaign, reminding people that he has done what he'd said he'd do when he ran in 2004," said Hartley.
"I'm seeing in this poll and others that Utahns don't really know me." And that media campaign will help with that, he said. "In my retail campaigning, like meeting people face-to-face at the Avenues Street Fair of several weeks ago, people know there is a presidential election this year. But when I tell them that there is also a gubernatorial and Salt Lake County mayor's race, they say "Oh? I didn't know that.""
As voters become more educated not only to the governor's race, but to Springmeyer himself, "I fully expect those numbers to change as we get close to the election," this year on Nov. 4.
Still, Springmeyer has his work cut out for him. He gets only 33 percent support from his own Democrats; Huntsman has 58 percent support from the minority party, Jones found. And Huntsman gets 77 percent support from political independents, a critical voting bloc for any Democrat who hopes to win a statewide election in Utah.
This past week Hill criticized Shurtleff for what she believes is questionable campaign fund raising by the attorney general; pointing out he has spent campaign funds on himself and his family. Shurtleff has done nothing illegal, Utah's campaign finance laws are some of the most lax in the nation, and he defended his fund raising and spending.
Recent comments
The true Mormons will support good open government candidates of...
Earl Hamiliton | Sept. 14, 2008 at 10:43 a.m.
They are facing an uphill battle because for some reason LDS people...
Uphill | Sept. 13, 2008 at 5:05 p.m.
Gov. Huntsman has not stood up to the GOP Leadership. He let Curtis...
Angry Man. | Sept. 13, 2008 at 4:11 p.m.
- Full gas tanks may stop plane crashes 12:13 p.m.
- Giving heart to women who exercise 11:55 a.m.
- 4 police officers shot dead in Wash. 11:50 a.m.
- Leno losing his audience to DVR 11:43 a.m.
- Northeast scallopers decry cuts 11:29 a.m.
- $ needed to ease U.N. climate deal 11:17 a.m.
- Sen.: Troop hike must help forces 11:12 a.m.
- 'New Moon' keeps top box office spot 11:05 a.m.
- Filipino clan claims innocence 10:51 a.m.
- 'Saddam Channel' hits Iraq TV 10:36 a.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- BYU is champion of the state
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Credit Coug defense for win
- Cougar defense rose to occasion
- Field goals, penalties doomed Utes
- Jones' joy for life remembered
- Banged up Jazz get best of Blazers
- Man dies in dirt bike crash
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
432 - Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
360 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
116 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
89 - BYU is champion of the state
79 - Hall's legacy measured today
76 - Y. focused on 10-win season
73
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
I find it quite interesting. Utah fans and players can say and do anything...
If Max hates EVERYONE associated with Utah and ALL their fans, I can only...
Well done Utah! I couldn't believe how well your d played. Max had a hard...
1984 NC has an asterisk attached. BYU beat a 6-5 mediocre Michigan team to...
Max's comments were pretty stupid. Yes, I would be very mad if some Ute fans...
really BYU fans? No one cares about BYU anywhere...period. The only people...
TCU 4th, 4th BYU 16th, 14th Utah n/a, 25th. Win your bowl games fella's,...
Mulan is my favorite Disney animation flick. I'm looking forward to this...
Just in case we did not hear it enough. George is Wide...
So sorry for your loss. May God watch over all of you at this time. He...


