The little-known Davis tallies a surprising 24%

Utahns still like Gov. Mike Leavitt enough to make him the Republican nominee over an unheralded challenger who would pull surprisingly decent numbers if the primary election were held today.

A new Deseret News/KSL—TV poll shows 57 percent of voters would choose the two-term governor over Holladay businessman Glen Davis. Those who favor Davis number 24 percent, while 16 percent are undecided, according to the survey conducted by Dan Jones & Associates. Another 2 percent don't plan to vote in the June 27 GOP primary. The winner faces former Democratic congressman Bill Orton in November.

Among those who told Jones they are Republicans, Leavitt leads Davis, 69-18 percent. Anyone can vote in the open June 27 primary, and Democrats have no major primary contests.

Leavitt also continues to appeal to Utahns in general. Those polled gave him a fine job approval rating.

However, Leavitt's approval ratings are the lowest they've been in several years. He usually hovers near 80 percent — which historically has made him the most popular politician in the state.

In the new poll, Leavitt has slipped to a still-lofty 75 percent. Only 20 percent disapprove of the governor's performance and 5 percent didn't express an opinion.

"All of the governor's work is toward satisfying the citizens that the state is being well run and focusing on the right things," said Leavitt spokeswoman Vicki Varela, adding the high rating "means a lot."

There's no question Leavitt appeals to a majority of Utahns, but Jones notes "he's having trouble with factions in his own party. But that can happen when you have such a large party."

Davis didn't find the poll numbers at all disappointing.

"We feel encouraged, frankly," he said last week as he and running mate Greg Hawkins prepared for a daylong campaign trip to Vernal. "We've come from 1 percent before the convention up to 24 percent."

Varela said the head-to-head poll serves as a reminder that nothing remains static, though it shows a level of confidence in the governor. Leavitt, she said, intends to get out and talk to residents during the campaign to see how or if his regime needs to change course as well as lay out his vision for the state.

Davis was among three GOP candidates who filed against Leavitt. None received more than 2 percent in a newspaper poll conducted in April.

Jones said a lot of supporters of the relatively unknown Davis are "anti-Leavitt."