Utah voters believe Republicans in Congress are handling their jobs better than Democrats, but most disapprove of both groups.
A new UtahPolicy.com/2News poll from Y2 Analytics shows 44 percent of Utahns approve of the job performance of Republicans in Congress while just 27% say Congressional Democrats are handling their jobs well. 62% say they disapprove of Congressional Democrats while 47% disapprove of Republicans.
The survey was conducted January 16-30, right in the middle of the impeachment proceedings in Washington, D.C. As the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump were seen as a mostly partisan affair, it makes sense that Democrats would receive a much higher disapproval rating from Utahns than Republicans.
The approval of Republicans in Congress jumped 7 points from a previous Utah Political Trends survey in November when 37 percent of Utahns approved of GOP members of Congress. During the same time, approval of Democrats in Washington dropped by the same amount, down from 34 percent.
As one might expect, perceptions of the two political parties mostly break down along partisan lines in Utah. 85% of “strong” Republicans say they approve how Republicans are performing in Congress, but 97% in that group disapprove of Democrats. 89% of “strong Democrats” approve of the members from their own party in Congress, but 99% disapprove of Republicans.
A previous Utah Political Trends survey found President Trump’s approval ratings crested above 50% for the first time since his election in 2016, with 51 percent of Utahns approving of his job performance and 45 percent disapproving.
The impeachment and trial of President Trump took a toll on Utah’s lone Democrat in Congress, as Rep. Ben McAdams saw his approval ratings drop by 11 points during the impeachment proceedings. The rest of Utah’s Republicans in the House saw their approval ratings either remain static or increase during that time.
As with most of the Utah Political Trends surveys, there’s a significant gender gap in perceptions of the two parties. 49% of men approve of Republicans in Congress, while only 39% of women do, a 10-point gap. Women were 9 points more likely to approve of Democrats in Congress than Republicans, 31-22 percent.
The Utah Political Trends survey was conducted January 16-30, 2020 by Y2 Analytics among 2,296 likely Utah voters with a margin of error +/- 2.1% points. You can read more about the polling methodology here.
KUTV 2News recently partnered with Utah Policy.com and Y2 Analytics and will be providing polling results on a regular basis throughout the election season. You can sign up for UtahPolicy.com’s daily email newsletter here.
