Only 36% in poll support Cannon

Four-term U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon starts his re-election race this year relatively underfunded, challenged by credible fellow Republicans and in poor shape in the public opinion polls.

Cannon has been here before. And he predicts he'll win re-election again, perhaps by a large majority.

A new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll conducted last week by Dan Jones & Associates finds that Cannon starts the official 2006 election with only 36 percent support among his 3rd Congressional District voters, while Utah's three other congressional incumbents — Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah; and Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah — are favored by more than 55 percent of their constituents.

With nearly two-out-of-three voters saying they don't now support Cannon, it is the poorest start in the polls in recent years for the 55-year-old incumbent, first elected in 1996.

"Baseline polls are known to be erratic. My own polling shows me in the best shape ever," Cannon said Friday in a telephone interview from his Washington, D.C., office.

The newspaper and TV station historically have Jones do what's called a "baseline" poll in March after the candidate filing deadline, matching all candidates in a race against each other.

Hatch, who seeks a record-setting 36 years in the U.S. Senate, is favored by 57 percent of all Utahns, Jones found in the new survey.

Bishop, who seeks a third, two-year term, is supported by 58 percent of 1st Congressional District voters.

And Matheson, who wants a fourth term, is a Democrat in a GOP-leaning 2nd District who gets an impressive 58 percent support. Matheson, who describes himself as fiscally conservative, has more impressive numbers for a congressional Democrat in Utah:

• He gets 37 percent of the Republican vote, compared to only 27 percent by state Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper;

• He gets 91 percent of the Democratic vote and 75 percent of the independent vote;

• And he gets 51 percent of the LDS vote.

Cannon's 3rd District race will likely be Utah's most-watched, at least early on.

Cannon, a millionaire, is being challenged by former GOP 2nd District U.S. Rep. Merrill Cook, who over the years has spent nearly $4 million on his numerous races, and Utah County water-and-land developer John Jacob, a fellow Republican who says he may well spend $1 million to $1.5 million of his own money on his race.