GOP Gov. Gary Herbert remains the most popular politician holding a major office in Utah, a new UtahPolicy.com poll shows.
But like other Utah officeholders, Herbert’s popularity has dropped over the last few years, finds Dan Jones & Associates.
Which shows that Utahns’ general dissatisfaction with politicians – local and national – continues.
In a new survey, Jones finds:
— 67 percent of Utahns “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the job Herbert is doing as governor. Herbert is in his 8thyear running the state, and has said he will retire at the end of his current term in 2020.
— 27 percent (or a fourth) of Utahns disapprove of the job Herbert is doing.
— While 5 percent don’t have an opinion of him.
The new survey puts Herbert 10- to 15-percentage points ahead of other officeholders’ favorability ratings.
So that has to be good.
Still, in January 2015 Jones found in another UtahPolicy poll that Herbert’s favorability rating was 74-18 percent.
So the governor has slipped a bit.
Back in the day, former Govs. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Mike Leavitt got approval ratings in the mid- to high-70thpercentiles.
But those were different times – well before a number of Utahns became dissatisfied with congressmen from Utah and then-sitting presidents of the United States.
Herbert shows overall strength among Republicans and conservatives. But there is a little bump:
— While Herbert gets a good favorable rating of 79-15 percent among those who said they are “very conservative,” he does better among those who said they are “somewhat conservative,” 84-17 percent.
That’s likely a reflection of some archconservatives not liking Herbert as they once did.
Herbert signed SB54 – the dual path to the primary law much hated by many rightwing Republicans and archconservatives.
He’s said he will veto any attempt to repeal or gut SB54 – and the state GOP has gone into debt by $300,000 fighting it in the courts.
— Moderates give Herbert a 66-25 percent approval rating.
— While those who said they are “somewhat” liberal give him a disapproval rating of 51-47 percent; and the “very” liberals a disapproval rating of 74-21 percent.
— 58 percent of Democrats don’t like Herbert, while 39 percent approve of the job he’s doing.
— 63 percent of independents like Herbert, 32 percent don’t.
A 39 percent approval rating by members of your opposite political party is a good rating, however.
Like all recent governors, Herbert is a faithful member of the LDS Church, and “very active” Mormons give him a 83-13 percent approval rating.
Catholics are cooler on Herbert, giving him a 55-27 percent favorable.
Protestants, which include born-again Christians, give him a 72-18 percent rating.
While those of other religions are at 52-42 percent approval.
And those that have no religion disapprove of the job Herbert is doing, 65-31 percent.
Younger Utahns are more progressive and critical of most of their politicians:
— Those 25-34 years old only give Herbert a 55-38 percent approval rating.
— While those 55-64 years old give him a 70-27 percent approval.
Herbert has ridden an outstanding state economic boom during most of his years in office – and has played it politically safe – not taking any large risks.
He hasn’t backed any major tax hikes, nor any tax cuts.
He opposes the Our Schools Now citizen initiative petition that would increase the sales and personal income taxes by a total $700 million annually to give a big funding increase to public schools, K-12.
He failed to get his Healthy Utah Medicaid expansion through the GOP-controlled Legislature, and reluctantly signed into law a much watered-down alternative, which has yet to get the federal waivers required.
Jones polled 608 adults from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.97 percent.
