Salt Lake Mayor Palmer DePaulis, a Democrat, and Congressman Jim Hansen, a Republican, are the early - very early - leaders in the 1992 governor's race, the latest Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows.
Neither one has yet formally announced for the office being vacated by GOP Gov. Norm Bangerter, who has already said he isn't running for a third term. Both are interested, however. DePaulis isn't seeking re-election this year to his mayoral post, and Hansen says he'll run for something in 1992, likely the governorship or his House seat.Other top contenders, found pollster Dan Jones & Associates, are Lt. Gov. Val Oveson, retiring University of Utah President Chase Peterson (who says he won't run) and Independent Party leader Merrill Cook.
Of course, this far away from election day - nearly 18 months - name recognition plays a big part in any candidate poll. It makes sense, then, that DePaulis, Hansen, Oveson, Peterson and Cook - all who are well-known in Utah - are early front runners.
Jones asked 609 Utahns their gubernatorial preference in two different questions.
First, he asked respondents to say, on a scale of 1 to 5, whether they favor or oppose each candidate running next year. A 1 ranking was very much not in favor of the potential candidate, a 3 meant the person knew the candidate, but didn't care whether he ran or not, and a 5 was very much in favor of the candidacy. Thus, the higher the mean score, the more respondents wanted the candidate to run. Most of the potential candidates had high unknowns, but the unknowns weren't counted in the mean score, Jones said.
In his second question, Jones asked whom the respondent would vote for today for governor, including all candidates - Republicans, Democrats and independents - in the list. The respondent could pick only one, thus the low percentages some candidates received.
DePaulis is the top contender in both questions - he gets the highest mean score of 3.53 and the highest overall voter tally, 26 percent.
Hansen finishes second to DePaulis in the head-to-head contest, getting 18 percent of the potential vote. Oveson sneaks ahead of Hansen in the favorability contest, the lieutenant governor gets a 3.04 mean score compared with Hansen's 3.01.
DePaulis, Hansen and Cook are well-known. Only 13 percent of those questioned didn't know the mayor and representative, only 18 percent didn't know Cook. However, 30 percent don't want Hansen to run for governor, while only 17 percent don't want DePaulis to run.
Cooks gets the highest unfavorable rating, 47 percent who knew of Cook didn't want him to run. That accounts for Cook's low mean score of just 2.33. Cook does better in the head-to-head, tying for 3rd place with Chase Peterson at 9 percent each.
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(Poll)
The following Republicans and Democrats are being mentioned as possible candidates for governor in 1992. On a scale of 1.00 - 5.00 with one being not in favor and five being very much in favor, please tell me how you feel about each candidate running for governor:
%
Republicans
Not in Very much don't know mean
favor in favor know
1 2 3 4 5
Lecturer and writer
Richard Eyre 8% 8% 16% 7% 4% 56% 2.80
1st District
Rep. Jim Hansen 17% 13% 22% 22% 13% 13% 3.01
Lt. Governor Val Oveson 8% 12% 26% 20% 6% 29% 3.04
Former state Public
Safety Director
John T. Nielson 7% 12% 17% 7% 2% 55% 2.63
Insurance executive
Mike Leavitt 10% 12% 17% 6% 1% 54% 2.47
Democrats
Salt Lake Mayor
Palmer DePaulis 8% 9% 22% 28% 21% 13% 3.53
Businessman Kem Gardner 5% 11% 24% 8% 3% 50% 2.87
State court judge
Scott Daniels 7% 8% 17% 9% 3% 56% 2.86
Attorney
Stewart Hanson Jr. 7% 11% 18% 5% 2% 57% 2.63
U. President
Chase Peterson 13% 13% 22% 20% 9% 22% 2.99
Independent
Businessman Merill Cook 32% 15% 18% 11% 6% 18% 2.33
%