Republican Bob Bennett leads Democrat Wayne Owens by 20 percent in their U.S. Senate race, the latest Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows.
The new poll, conducted last week, shows that Owens has closed on Bennett, who took a big lead after the primary Sept. 8. But with just four weeks until Election Day, Owens has his work cut out for him.Pollster Dan Jones & Associates found in his survey Sept. 29-30 that 57 percent of Utahns support Bennett, 37 percent Owens, 1 percent mentioned someone else, 1 percent said none of the above, and 4 percent didn't know.
The 4 percent undecided is rather a small figure considering the election is still a month away, indicating that many Utahns apparently have made up their minds.
Bennett is running a campaign based on change. In fact, his billboards and bus posters just list that one word - change - with Bennett's name. But Jones found, interesting enough, that Bennett does much better not with people who are dissatisfied with the direction America is going - and thus may want a change - but with those who think the country is on the right track.
In short, even though he's running on dissatisfaction, Bennett is getting the satisfied vote.
Jones found that 78 percent of Utahns who think America is on the right track support Bennett; only 20 percent of satisfied Utahns support Owens. Bennett also leads Owens with dissatisfied voters, but by a much slimmer margin. Among those who think America is on the wrong track, Bennett leads 51 percent to 42 percent.
Owens, the incumbent 2nd Congressional District representative to the U.S. House, has been stuck in Washington the past several weeks as Congress struggles to finish its work before the election-time adjournment this week. So the Senate race has been quiet compared to the Utah governor's contest and the 2nd District race - where two women seeking to succeed Owens, Republican Enid Greene and Democrat Karen Shepherd, have been working each other over.
Owens is going to have to get after Bennett quickly once he gets back in Utah if he hopes to turn the election around.
But to be successful, Owens is going to have to make a lot of Utahns feel better about him. Jones asked those interviewed if they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of each candidate.
Half of all Utahns have a somewhat or very unfavorable impression of Owens - a rather high unfavorable rating. Forty-five percent had a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Owens. Everyone had heard of Owens' name; only 4 percent had no opinion. Thus it's clear that Owens is well-known, and he isn't wishy-washy, as nearly everyone has an opinion on the guy. In past polls, that opinion has been better. But it's likely that the House bank overdraft scandal of last spring harmed Owens' traditional good standing among voters - and he hasn't regained it totally.
By comparison, 62 percent have a favorable impression of Bennett; only 27 percent an unfavorable impression.
Bennett runs strong across all sectors of Utah society, the demographic breakdown of the poll shows.
Bennett is especially strong among young voters, 18 to 30 years old, where he leads Owens 70 percent to 24 percent. Owens does better among older voters, 56 years and older, where Bennett leads Owens, 50-43.
One of the few categories where Owens does well is among Utahns with only a high school degree. Among those voters, Owens leads Bennett, 46-45.
Bennett leads Owens among active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 72 percent to 21 percent.
POLL
If the election for U.S. Senate were held today, for whom would you vote?
Robert Bennett 57%
Wayne Owens 37%
None 1%
Other 1%
Don't know 4%
Sample size: 610 Error: +/- 4%
Conducted Sept. 29-30, 1992
Copyright 1992 Deseret News
Conducted by Dan Jones and Associates