Jon Huntsman’s campaign for a third term as Utah’s governor is stalling, according to a new poll.
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox has a 7 percentage point lead on Huntsman ahead of the Republican primary set for June 30, 39% of the vote to Huntsman’s 32%, a UtahPolicy.com/KUTV 2 News survey released Monday found. Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes earns 23% support, and ex-Utah GOP Chairman Thomas Wright rounds out the field with 6%.
In a previous poll taken in March, Cox was also ahead of Huntsman, 40% to 33%. Another survey in December put the pair in a 41% to 29% race.
In May’s iteration, Cox’s advantage is based on his popularity among self-identified “strong conservatives” and “moderate conservatives.” Meanwhile, Huntsman’s most loyal demographic is comprised of unaffiliated voters who say they’re likely to register as Republicans to cast a ballot in the GOP contest.
Cox is the establishment favorite to replace incumbent Gov. Gary Herbert. Herbert, Huntsman’s successor who’s not seeking reelection, endorsed his No. 2, Cox, before Huntsman even entered the race in November.
Huntsman, a 2012 Republican presidential candidate, was Utah’s governor from 2005 to 2009. He was then appointed former President Barack Obama’s U.S. ambassador to China and stationed in Beijing from 2009 until 2011. Prior to accepting a position as President Trump’s top diplomat to Russia from 2017 to 2019, he was ex-President George H.W. Bush’s envoy to Singapore between 1992 and 1993.
Y2 Analytics conducted the poll from May 9-15, surveying 483 likely Republican primary voters. The study’s results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
