Herbert has big lead in Utah governor's race, poll shows

SALT LAKE CITY — The gap is widening in the race for governor between Republican Gov. Gary Herbert and Democratic Salt Lake Mayor Peter Corroon, a new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows.

One-fourth of the registered voters surveyed back Corroon, compared with 45 percent for Herbert, — a 20-point difference. In January, the two candidates were 13 points apart.

While both candidates appear to have lost some support since January, Corroon's numbers dropped more dramatically, from 35 percent to 25 percent. Herbert went from 48 percent to 45 percent.

Dan Jones & Associates conducted the latest poll of 406 registered voters statewide April 27-28. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent. The firm has done polling for Herbert.

The poll also found that 22 percent of registered voters said they'd never heard of Corroon, while 15 percent said the same about Herbert, who took over as governor last summer when former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. resigned to become U.S. ambassador to China.

That surprised pollster Dan Jones, as did the 22 percent of respondents in the April poll who said they still hadn't decided on their choice for governor, up from 16 percent in January. Still, Jones said, it's early in a race that won't attract much voter attention until later this year.

"When they really focus in is after Labor Day," Jones said. "I guarantee you, two weeks before the election, less than 2 percent will say they've never heard of" the candidates.

This far out from the November election, Jones said, favorability ratings for the pair are more important than their standing in the polls.

Both did well, he said, with 59 percent of voters saying they have a favorable impression of Herbert and 39 percent saying they have a favorable impression of Corroon. Just 13 percent said they have an unfavorable impression of Herbert, while 15 percent say the same about Corroon.

"It shows they're very likable," Jones said, noting that means undecided voters will continue to listen to both Herbert and Corroon. "Both are viable candidates."

Herbert's campaign manager, Joseph Demma, was pleased with the poll.

"I think a 20-point lead at this point is a significant statement that the voters of Utah do support where the governor is going, as opposed to where the opposition wants to take us," Demma said. "This is a race that's spreading, and that can only be good news for the Herbert campaign."

But Corroon's campaign manager, Donald Dunn, called the results encouraging while acknowledging there's plenty of work to be done.

"It shows people don't know who Gary Herbert is, and they don't know who Peter Corroon is around the state," Dunn said. "There's an opportunity here."

e-mail: lisa@desnews.com