Most Utahns do not approve of the job either Republicans nor Democrats are doing in Congress, a recent UtahPolicy.com poll shows.
However, Dan Jones & Associates finds – since most Utahns are Republicans – that Republicans in Congress are doing better than their Democratic opponents among those in the Beehive State.
As expected, how one feels about the partisanship of the U.S. House and Senate depends in large part to which party they belong.
Political independents basically say a pox upon both your houses.
Here are the numbers:
= Overall, 49 percent of Utahns say Republicans in Congress – they are in the minority in the House, majority in the Senate – get either a “strong” or “somewhat” approval rating.
= 47 percent “strongly” or “somewhat” disapprove of the job Republicans in Congress are doing. While 4 percent don’t know.
Still, GOP congressmen and women don’t find majority support for what they are doing.
= Democrats in Congress are worse off. Overall, 60 percent get a disapproval rating.
= Only 31 percent of Utahns give congressional Democrats a positive approval rating. And 4 percent don’t know.
Partisan breakouts go along party lines:
= Utah Republicans say GOP congressmen and women are doing a good job, 75-22 percent.
= Democrats don’t like what Republicans are doing in Congress, 89-11 percent.
= Political independents have no use for GOP congress-people, either, disapproving of them, 65-28 percent.
Of note here: A fifth of Utah Republicans DON’T like how their own party members are acting in Congress.
How are Democrats in Congress doing, a new majority in the House, but still a minority in the Senate?
= Republicans say they basically stink, by 82-16 percent they disapprove of Democratic job performance.
= Democrats like what their own party members are doing, 88-9 percent.
= And political independents are split, 54 percent disapprove of Democrats in Congress, but 40 percent like them.
Democrat Ben McAdams is the only member of the congressional Utah delegation belonging to that party – beating GOP Rep. Mia Love last November in the 4th U.S. House District.
The district, historically, votes around +13 percent Republican, so McAdams’ victory was a real upset.
And now McAdams has to please members of his opposite party – at least some – to stay in office.
In the 4th District, DJA finds:
= 49 percent say they approve of the job Republicans are doing in Congress.
= 45 percent disapprove of congressional Republicans.
So McAdams’ constituents are mixed on how Republicans are doing.
= But 58 percent of his voters DON’T like what congressional Democrats are doing.
= While only 36 percent like what Democrats in Congress are doing.
This is why McAdams has to walk a fine line in his voting with or against congressional Democratic colleagues over the next two years, for a lot of conservative Republicans and independents are giving him the benefit of the doubt currently – a wait and see attitude.
DJA polled 822 adults statewide from Jan. 3-15; with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
In the 4th District, 203 adults were polled; with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.9 percent.
