For example, GOP presidential candidate John McCain is ahead of Democrat Barack Obama in Matheson's 2nd District, 52-37 percent.

Republican Huntsman is ahead of Democrat Springmeyer in the 2nd District, 72-20 percent.

Yet then 2nd District voters turn around and favor the Democrat Matheson, 65-26 percent. It's that kind of split-ticket balloting that drives Utah GOP leaders nuts.

Jones finds that Matheson gets 41 percent of the Republican vote in the 2nd District. Matheson even gets 35 percent of the vote of people who say historically they "strongly" vote Republican.

Matheson crushes Dew among political independents — getting 76 percent of that vote compared with just 14 percent for Dew, a retired homebuilder.

In previous elections, Matheson has said he needs to get at least 60 percent of the vote in Salt Lake County, where most of the 2nd District citizens live. Jones finds that 73 percent of county registered voters support Matheson this year.

---

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com