Utah Republican delegates rank education as the top issue facing the state of Utah.
A new UtahPolicy.com survey shows 21% of current Utah Republican delegates say schools and education are the state’s #1 issue. 14% picked the economy, and 11% said the fight over control of public lands within the state’s borders.
Government overreach was the top concern for 10% of Utah GOP delegates, and 5% said immigration was their top issue.
Given how conservative delegates are compared to the rest of the population of the state, it may be surprising to see education as their top issue. However, it’s not given the opposition to common core educational standards and a preference for more school choice within this group. Many GOP delegates also advocate for more local control of schools and rail against the U.S. Department of Education, which seems to overlap with their concerns about government overreach.
Comparing these results with the rest of Utahns and other Republicans highlights some stark differences:
- 11% of delegates pick the fight over public lands as their top issue. Only 3% of Utahns and the same proportion of Republicans as a whole agree.
- 10% of delegates say government overreach is the top issue. 4% of Utahns and 5% of all Republicans say this is the most important issue.
The survey was conducted by Dan Jones & Associates from January 13-16 among 605 Utah Republican delegates. Respondents were contacted using live telephone calls, both landline and cell phone.
