Less than half of voters think Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Stewart deserve another term in office according to a new UtahPolicy.com survey.
Dan Jones and Associates asked voters in Utah's First and Second Congressional Districts if Bishop and Stewart should be re-elected to another term in 2016 or if another person should be given a chance to serve.
46% of registered voters in the 1st District said Bishop should win re-election while 41% say no. 13% are undecided.
In the 2nd District, 47% say Stewart should have another term while 29% say no. 23% are undecided.
The number of voters who are inclined to give Bishop and Stewart another two-year term in Washington seems low, even alarming. But the basic fact is there are very few, if any, Democrats who have a chance at knocking either man off in 2016.
Bishop defeated Donna McAleer, who challenged him for a second straight time in 2014 by a whopping 37 points. Stewart beat State Senator Luz Escamilla by 28 points. That hardly points toward incumbents who might be in trouble next year.
A better explanation may be "election fatigue," as voters haven't turned their attention to the 2016 election yet, being that it's more than 500 days away.
Among members of their own parties, Bishop and Stewart have little to worry about. 61% of Republicans say Bishop deserves another term while 65% of GOP voters say that about Stewart.
While Democrats clearly do not like either man, the biggest concern for the two members of Congress is independent voters. Only 34% of independents say Bishop should have another two years. Independents are more supportive of Stewart, with 47% saying he should remain in office.
The survey was conducted May 4-12, 2015.
