GOP Salt Lake County Commissioner Bart Barker is in a tight re-election race this year, both against his Republican opponent Henry Hilton and Democrat Jim Bradley, the latest Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows.
Barker, first elected in 1980, has a slight lead over Hilton - 28 percent to 24 percent with 44 percent undecided - in the GOP race, reports pollster Dan Jones & Associates.But Barker trails Bradley - 33 percent for Bradley, 31 percent for Barker with 34 percent undecided, Jones found.
Anyone can vote in a party's primary election. Among those who told Jones they're Republicans, Barker leads Hilton, 28 percent to 26 percent with 44 percent undecided.
"People don't focus on County Commission races until late in the campaign," said Barker. "They don't focus on a primary race until just before the actual election. When they do, I believe I'll move ahead and stay ahead, just as in other (election) years."
The poll was conducted the end of June, well before this week's filing of assault charges against Hilton. Thus, the poll doesn't reflect any impact of the altercation Hilton and his son had with a Sandy man in front of a movie theater. The man filed assault charges against Hilton, who said he bit the man's arm in self-defense. Hilton says he's innocent of any wrongdoing and may file counter-charges. Hilton couldn't be reached for a response to the poll.
"I'm very pleased," said Bradley. "It's better to be ahead than behind. I'm in a much stronger position this year (against Barker) than I was two years ago when I ran against (GOP county commissioner) Mike Stewart." Bradley lost that 1988 race, but it was close enough to encourage him to make another run at the commission.
"There is not a great deal of change (over a previous poll). Both Bart and I clearly have to go after the undecideds the rest of the way," Bradley said.
A February poll taken for the Deseret News and KSL-TV showed Bradley ahead of Barker 32-28 percent with 38 percent undecided. Hilton hadn't yet entered the Republican race at that time.
Bradley claims there is considerable disenchantment among county residents with the Republican commission, "especially with Bart Barker."The three commissioners are all Republicans - Stewart, Barker and Tom Shimizu. Barker and Shimizu are up for election this year. A Deseret News/KSL-TV poll published Wednesday shows Shimizu ahead of his Democratic opponent, Randy Horiuchi, 46 percent to 29 percent with 22 percent undecided.
"I'm not in much different shape this year (in polls) than in years past," said Barker. "Except for Tom (Shimizu), commission races in the 1980s have been close for Mike and me. People just don't focus on commission races until just before the election."
Bradley says he's raised about $6,000 so far. "In commission races, expenses always come well ahead of donations," he said. Barker says he's raised "a bit more than $6,000, but we spent it all in the convention (trying, unsuccessfully, to eliminate Hilton). I basically have nothing right now."
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(Poll)
If the Republican primary for Salt Lake County Commission were held today, for whom would you vote?
Definitely Bart Barker 8%
Probably Barker 20%
Probably Henry Hilton 17%
Definitely Hilton 7%
Other 3%
Don't know 44%
If the election for Salt Lake County Commission were held today and the candidates Barker and Jim Bradley, Democrat, for whom would you vote?
Definitely Hilton 11%
Probably Hilton 12%
Probably Bradley 19%
Definitely Bradley 13%
Other 2%
Don't know 43%
If the candidates were Hilton and Bradley, for whom would you vote?
Definitely Hilton 11%
Probably Hilton 12%
Probably Bradley 19%
Definitely Bradley 13%
Other 2%
Don't know 43%
Sample size: 254; margin of error plus or minus 7%