Most Utahns approve of Donald Trump’s pick for his vice presidential running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a new UtahPolicy poll shows.
Pollster Dan Jones & Associates finds in a new survey that 56 percent of Utahns “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the Pence choice.
A fourth (25 percent) disapprove of the pick and 19 percent don’t know, found Jones.
Utah is overwhelmingly Republican.
And in general, the pick of Pence by Trump was seen as a good move by GOP leaders, both in Utah and nationally, with the hope (still not realized) that Pence could have a moderating effect on Trump’s actions.
While a conservative, Pence is seen as a mainstream officeholder and a rather normal Republican politician.
Jones finds:
- 77 percent of Utah Republicans like the Pence pick by Trump.
- Only 8 percent of Utah Republicans oppose the Pence choice.
- While 15 percent don’t know.
Utah Democrats like almost nothing about Trump, nor what he does.
And only 19 percent of Democrats approve of the Pence vice presidential selection.
- 58 percent disapprove of the Pence choice.
- And 24 percent of Democrats don’t know.
Political independents approve of the Pence choice, 50-30 percent.
Interestingly enough, there is a gender split on Pence, finds Jones.
- 62 percent of men approve of Pence, while only 51 percent of women approve of the pick.
Active Mormons don’t much like Trump.
But Jones finds that 67 percent of “very active” Mormons approve of the Pence selection, 15 percent disapprove, and 18 percent don’t know.
Jones polled 858 Utahns from July 18 to Aug. 4. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.34 percent.
Trump saw only a modest bump in the polls after picking Pence and the GOP national convention.
Trump then had a very bad two weeks, picking a fight with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq, saying President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton “founded” the ISIS terrorist state, among other perceived blunders.
Pence has been out stumping for Trump, but so far Pence’s affect on the campaign has been negligible.
In fact, Trump has plummeted in the polls, both nationally but more importantly in several key battlegrounds, swing states, like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Utah GOP Gov. Gary Herbert has formally endorsed Trump, but so far Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox has withheld any endorsement, saying Trump doesn’t represent his political values.
