What's happening with Utah's right?

First in a series

A new poll shows Utahns believe the Republican Party represents mainstream Utah well, but that the GOP-controlled Legislature is out of step with most Utahns on several key issues, most notably gun control and public education funding.

The survey comes in the wake of what Gov. Mike Leavitt has called an especially "hard day" for the Utah Republican Party. He is referring to the May 6 state convention, when right-wing conservatives booed the governor, and it wasn't clear whether party leaders would step up and back him in the fray.

The May convention, the most recent in a series of confrontations between conservatives from the party's right and Leavitt, Sen. Orrin Hatch and legislative leaders, has caused politicians, party members and observers to look hard at what's happening with the state's majority party.

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A new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, shows 89 percent of Republicans say their party reflects their philosophies; 76 percent of Utahns say the party mirrors the views of mainstream Utahns; 79 percent said they are somewhat or very satisfied with the GOP.

But a formidable chunk of "moderate" Republicans and independent voters are not satisfied, the new survey shows. And the same poll finds that the Legislature, which has been controlled by GOP majorities for 20 years, is not representing most Utahns' views on several high-profile issues.

The poll numbers suggest that the Utah GOP and Legislature could be losing support of the political middle — those who say they are "somewhat conservative" or "moderate" in their political leanings and those who say they are independent voters.

"There are areas where we have to do a better job of getting our message out or just a better job," House Speaker Marty Stephens told the Deseret News after reviewing the poll numbers.

House Minority Leader Dave Jones has a different take.

"It's interesting to me that the majority party in Utah now appears to be majority in name only," said Jones, D-Salt Lake City. People have gotten into the habit of voting Republican, he believes.

"Now it appears to me there's some evidence this is changing. If people dig in and understand the issue, they find the majority party doesn't reflect their views on things like gun legislation, education funding, utility regulation and consumer protection."