The UtahPolicy.com “Political Insiders” panel expects Gov. Gary Herbert and Sen. Mike Lee to win their general election matchups in November, but our readers aren’t so sure.
98% of the Republicans on our “Political Insider” panel and 77% of the Democrats say Gary Herbert should triumph over Democrat Mike Weinholtz in November. Herbert won the Republican primary handily last week, easily defeating his Republican challenger, Jonathan Johnson. However, the readers who responded to our online survey narrowly picked Weinholtz to defeat Herbert.
On the U.S. Senate side, Misty Snow took an easy win over Jonathan Swinton on Tuesday, setting up a general-election matchup with Republican incumbent Mike Lee.
Every single Republican on our “Insider” panel picked Lee to win the matchup with Snow, as did 82% of the Democrats. Our readers are much more optimistic about Snow’s chances. 56% of those who responded online picked her to defeat Lee.
Selected anonymous comments:
“You’d have to be high to think a non-Republican will win a statewide race in this election cycle, Trump or not.”
“Is there really any question? For good or bad, Herbert and Lee have been elected already. Lee by whatever strings he pulled to avoid a Republican opponent, and Herbert by whatever fraction of us voted in the Republican primary on Tuesday.”
“I will be voting for Misty Snow, and I will do my utmost to convince a majority of voters that she will be better than Mike Lee, but I harbor no delusion that it will be an uphill battle against voter apathy and voter ignorance. If Misty loses, it won’t be because we didn’t try hard enough.”
“Every time I thought Misty was done, she advanced one more step.”
” I’d love to see Weinholtz win, but Herbert is far too popular. We may as well coronate Mike Lee now.”
“Utah Voter Instruction Manual: 1. Enter voting booth. 2. Vote (STRAIGHT “R”), or if you are a pirate, arrrrrrrrrrr! 3. Wipe saliva off chin. Watch out for the hook! One eye patch per voter. 4. Affix “I Voted” sticker in a conspicuous place on person, possibly on your eye patch…no not the other eye. 5. Go back to sleep for the next four years (plenty of grog until then).”
“Barring some unforeseen major disaster, Herbert and Lee win hands down.”
“Not even close in either race.”
“Weinholtz will throw a lot of money at the Governor’s race and, like Johnson will go negative. However, the results will be the same. Kamerath may siphon off some of the right-wing Republican votes, so the margin likely won’t be as big as it was with Johnson. Nevertheless, the primary showed that Utahns are pleased with Herbert’s leadership, and they will give him four more years.”
“At this point even if he beats a small child to death on the field at halftime during a BYU game smoking crack and yelling he is a Jedi – Mike Lee wins with 70% of the vote.”
“Weinholtz will have a good campaign, but won’t win. Mike Lee will defeat Misty Show easily. Two years ago would anyone have thought the only person to appear on any ballot opposite of Mike Lee would be a transgendered cashier?”
“Weinholtz is a good guy, but so are Peter Corroon & Peter Cooke. And they will all three be linked in a Wikipedia profile of vanquished opponents of Gary Herbert.”
