What do 3rd District voters want from their representative in Congress? A new poll may provide a path forward for those seeking to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
Chaffetz announced last month he would not seek re-election in 2018, leaving the seat open. Chaffetz has also hinted he may resign prior to the end of his term, necessitating a special election to pick his replacement in Washington.
A previous UtahPolicy.com survey found that former independent candidate Evan McMullin and Utah Valley University President Matt Holland generated the most interest from voters as a possible replacement, although neither have publicly said they plan to run for Chaffetz’s seat. The same survey found 82% of voters had no preference at this early time.
We asked voters what they thought the greatest issue facing the 3rd District that a member of Congress could do something about.
- 16% picked schools and education
- 11% said health care or health insurance was their top issue.
- 6% picked control of public lands
- 25% picked some other issue while 23% didn’t have an opinion.
Republican voters in the 3rd District picked schools (14%) and health care (11%) as their top issues. A quarter of Democrats said education was their #1 issue for Congress. 16% of independent voters also said education was their top issue.
Whoever runs to replace Chaffetz may be well served not aligning themselves too closely with President Donald Trump’s agenda. Voters in the 3rd District are evenly divided on whether they view President Trump favorably, with 49% saying they have a favorable view of him and 49% saying they have an unfavorable opinion of the president.
Predictably, Republicans are mostly on board with President Trump, while Democrats are not. Independent voters, however, do not hold the president in very high esteem.
- 71% of Republicans in the 3rd District have a favorable opinion of President Trump.
- 91% of Democratic 3rd District voters view President Trump negatively, including 88% who hold a “very unfavorable” view of the president.
- Nearly 3/4ths of independent voters (72%) say they have an unfavorable view of President Trump.
Utah’s 3rd CD is the 16th most Republican in the country with a +25 GOP advantage.
The Dan Jones & Associates survey was conducted April 12-25, 2017 among 419 registered voters in Utah’s 3rd District with a margin of error +/- 4.79%.
