Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon is coasting through his re-election bid.

He not only has a $531,000 lead in the fundraising game, but he's also forging ahead with a big lead in the polls.

The Democrat would win by a 36-point margin over Republican Michael Renckert if the election were held today, according to a new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates. The poll of 234 Salt Lake County registered voters was conducted Sept. 9-11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.5 percent.

It seems Corroon can do no wrong. Poll after poll shows Corroon consistently bringing in approval ratings hovering near 60 percent.

You'd think Corroon would be breathing easy, but on Monday he said, "It's getting closer." It's true, a Deseret News/KSL-TV poll in May showed Corroon with 64 percent support compared to 57 percent support this time. Losing seven points is seven points too many for Corroon.

"It definitely shows me that I have to keep working hard," Corroon said.

Corroon's popularity is a far cry from four years ago, when the little-known Democratic challenger to then-Mayor Nancy Workman squeaked into office amid a scandalous time for the county.

Workman was ousted as county mayor in 2004 after being charged with using county money to hire a bookkeeper at the nonprofit organization her daughter headed. Workman was later acquitted and had been contemplating a run for county clerk this year.

Corroon won a tight race against last-minute candidate Ellis Ivory, who managed to take the lead in the polls just days before the election.

Things will likely be different this time around, according to the poll.

Corroon nabbed the support of 57 percent of the surveyed Salt Lake County registered voters, while Renckert received 21 percent. Some voters are still unsure, with 18 percent saying they don't know who they will vote for.

Renckert, a political unknown, is having a tough go in the fundraising battle. He's earned about $9,000 so far this year, while Corroon has amassed nearly $540,000, according to financial disclosures filed with the county clerk's office on Monday.

The poll also shows that, as is the norm for his political career, Salt Lake County Councilman Randy Horiuchi is in for another tight race.

The poll shows Horiuchi is hanging on with a 5-point lead over Republican Steve DeBry.

Historically, Horiuchi's races have always been tight, and this one should be no different.

Horiuchi out-raised Debry by $133,000 so far this year, but he's spent most of that money. Horiuchi enters the last leg of the election with about $19,000 in the bank, while Debry has $9,000, according to the report.

Horiuchi has served on the council since 2001, and he served on the County Commission for seven years in the '90s. DeBry is a captain with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com