SALT LAKE CITY Utah is officially a battleground state, and independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin is benefitting from a disenfranchised Utah electorate toward Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, according to a new poll released last Wednesday.
McMullin is now leading the state in likely presidential candidates in a new poll conducted by Emerson College. The former CIA agent and policy director for U.S. House Republicans now leads Republican nominee Donald Trump by four points (31 percent to 27 percent) in the state of Utah. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton isnt far behind at 24 percent.
The poll surveyed 700 people and was conducted from Oct. 17-19. The poll had a plus or minus 3.6 percent margin of error. Of those surveyed, 12 percent are still undecided.
The survey is the first poll conducted to give McMullin a lead in the state of Utah. A survey conducted by Y2 Analytics last week had Clinton and Trump in a dead heat at 26 percent and McMullin at 22 percent. That survey found that a majority of voters, specifically members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wanted Trump to drop out of the race.
In August, a few days after McMullin declared his candidacy, Trump acknowledged having a tremendous problem in Utah and has seen his favorability drop in the days since. Utah is a different place, Trump told a group of evangelical pastors in Orlando, Florida. Is anyone here from Utah? I didnt think so. Were having a problem.
Both Clinton and Trump have a high unfavorability rate in Utah, according to the Emerson College poll: 72 percent of respondents gave Trump an unfavorable rating, while 74 percent of respondents gave Clinton an unfavorable rating.
Boyd Matheson, president of conservative Sutherland Institute, told KSL last week that voters in Utah are not satisfied with either candidate from the two major parties.
It doesnt matter if its Trump or Clinton, Utahns are saying, No, thats not what leadership looks like to us, Matheson said.
Among those polled, 51 percent of former presidential candidate Ted Cruzs primary voters in the state of Utah are backing McMullin, while 29 percent are voting for Trump.
McMullins strongest support comes from a younger demographic (18-34) where he is winning 36 percent of the vote, compared to that of Trump and Clintons 22 percent. However, Trump does lead McMullin 35 percent to 24 percent among those 55 and older.
McMullin, a member of the LDS Church and BYU grad, has gained in popularity since declaring his candidacy on Aug. 8 in Salt Lake City. The website FiveThirtyEight forecasts Clinton as a strong favorite to win the presidency, but that a McMullin win in Utah could send ripple waves across the country.
It would take a fascinating scenario in which much of the technical detail of how we select presidents comes into play for McMullin to be sworn in as the 45th president, but the chances of its happening are slim, not none, reporter Benjamin Morris says.
McMullins path to securing 270 electoral votes is nearly impossible given that hes only on the ballot in 11 states, including Utah. However, a win in the state of Utah and a deadlock in the Electoral College would open up the possibility of winning in the U.S. House.
Should a candidate not secure 270 electoral votes, the 12th Amendment says that the top three presidential candidates are sent to the House, with each state getting one vote.
Fortunately for McMullin, Morris writes, Republicans havent shown Trump a lot of loyalty. Unprecedented numbers of congressional leaders have already abandoned their nominee and thats under the working assumption that Clinton is the only alternative.
McMullin is now leading the state in likely presidential candidates in a new poll conducted by Emerson College. The former CIA agent and policy director for U.S. House Republicans now leads Republican nominee Donald Trump by four points (31 percent to 27 percent) in the state of Utah. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton isnt far behind at 24 percent.
The poll surveyed 700 people and was conducted from Oct. 17-19. The poll had a plus or minus 3.6 percent margin of error. Of those surveyed, 12 percent are still undecided.
The survey is the first poll conducted to give McMullin a lead in the state of Utah. A survey conducted by Y2 Analytics last week had Clinton and Trump in a dead heat at 26 percent and McMullin at 22 percent. That survey found that a majority of voters, specifically members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wanted Trump to drop out of the race.
In August, a few days after McMullin declared his candidacy, Trump acknowledged having a tremendous problem in Utah and has seen his favorability drop in the days since. Utah is a different place, Trump told a group of evangelical pastors in Orlando, Florida. Is anyone here from Utah? I didnt think so. Were having a problem.
Both Clinton and Trump have a high unfavorability rate in Utah, according to the Emerson College poll: 72 percent of respondents gave Trump an unfavorable rating, while 74 percent of respondents gave Clinton an unfavorable rating.
Boyd Matheson, president of conservative Sutherland Institute, told KSL last week that voters in Utah are not satisfied with either candidate from the two major parties.
It doesnt matter if its Trump or Clinton, Utahns are saying, No, thats not what leadership looks like to us, Matheson said.
Among those polled, 51 percent of former presidential candidate Ted Cruzs primary voters in the state of Utah are backing McMullin, while 29 percent are voting for Trump.
McMullins strongest support comes from a younger demographic (18-34) where he is winning 36 percent of the vote, compared to that of Trump and Clintons 22 percent. However, Trump does lead McMullin 35 percent to 24 percent among those 55 and older.
McMullin, a member of the LDS Church and BYU grad, has gained in popularity since declaring his candidacy on Aug. 8 in Salt Lake City. The website FiveThirtyEight forecasts Clinton as a strong favorite to win the presidency, but that a McMullin win in Utah could send ripple waves across the country.
It would take a fascinating scenario in which much of the technical detail of how we select presidents comes into play for McMullin to be sworn in as the 45th president, but the chances of its happening are slim, not none, reporter Benjamin Morris says.
McMullins path to securing 270 electoral votes is nearly impossible given that hes only on the ballot in 11 states, including Utah. However, a win in the state of Utah and a deadlock in the Electoral College would open up the possibility of winning in the U.S. House.
Should a candidate not secure 270 electoral votes, the 12th Amendment says that the top three presidential candidates are sent to the House, with each state getting one vote.
Fortunately for McMullin, Morris writes, Republicans havent shown Trump a lot of loyalty. Unprecedented numbers of congressional leaders have already abandoned their nominee and thats under the working assumption that Clinton is the only alternative.
