Mike Lee holds commanding lead over GOP challengers in new Utah poll

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is running well ahead of his GOP primary challengers in the Utah Senate race, according to a new poll out Tuesday. 

The survey, commissioned by the Republican-leaning firm September Group and conducted by OH Predictive Insights, found Lee with 45 percent of Utah’s GOP primary electorate, while another 48 percent remain undecided. 

Two of Lee’s primary opponents, former state Rep. Becky Edwards and Brendan Wright, an area planning manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, notched only 3 percent support in the poll, while another challenger, Ally Isom, finished with 2 percent. 

Utah hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970, meaning the Republican primary is often the most difficult challenge for a GOP candidate to overcome. But the poll results suggest that Lee is on a clear path to winning a third term next year. 

“Though not yet over the all-important 50% benchmark, Mike Lee is strides ahead of his opponents in terms of support,” said Chuck Warren, the managing director at September Group. “Lee’s challengers may have more of a hike up King’s Peak than a walk in Zion Park in next year’s GOP primary in Utah.”

The bulk of Lee’s support comes from self-identified conservatives, according to the poll. Fifty-five percent of those who described their ideology as conservative say they support Lee’s reelection, while 41 percent remain undecided. 

Among self-described liberal or moderate Republicans, Lee still scores higher than any of his opponents, notching 31 percent support. Fifty-seven percent of those voters say they haven’t yet made up their minds. 

The poll was conducted online from Aug. 2-8 and surveyed 680 voters, including 337 self-identified Republicans. The Republican results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5.3 percentage points.