A new poll shows Sen. Mitt Romney has the approval of most voters in Utah, but the numbers also show he is vulnerable to a potential primary challenge.
The Utah Republican is now considering a second term, and according to a poll released by the Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics, 52% of Utah voters approve of his performance, while 44% say otherwise.
Among general election voters who describe themselves as conservative, 55% say they approve of his performance, but Mr. Romney falls into potential trouble within his own party.
Mr. Romney, who replaced the late Sen. Orrin Hatch after Mr. Hatch retired in 2018, is known for regularly bucking former President Donald Trump and frustrating the party base with certain stances he takes.
Most recently, as his fellow GOP colleagues circled the wagons around Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who faced attacks by Democrats over not making certain financial disclosures, Mr. Romney was the only Republican senator to criticize the conservative justice.
According to the poll, Utah Republicans are less likely to approve of the job Mr. Romney is doing than Democrats, making him at risk of a primary challenge from his right flank.
Only 47% of Republicans say they approve or strongly approve of his performance, compared to 73% of Democrats. Just 23% of voters who describe themselves as very conservative approve of Romney’s performance, compared to 60% of very liberal Utah voters.
Mr. Romney also holds the majority of moderate voters at 69% and somewhat liberal voters at 65%.
Mr. Romney has yet to declare his reelection bid but told reporters in Utah in February he will likely make a decision this spring or summer.
“I’m confident that I would win if I decide to run,” he said. “I’ll have the resources, and I believe the people of Utah would be with me.”
When he first ran for the Utah Senate seat in 2018, Mr. Romney faced state Rep. Mike Kennedy, a more conservative opponent in the GOP primary, and won over 70% of the vote.
He recently filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to enable him to start fundraising and spending money on a reelection campaign.
Although no Republicans have officially announced their candidacy against the first-term GOP senator, Utah Republicans are looking at alternatives.
Almost a week ago, Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson announced he was forming an exploratory committee 14 months before the scheduled primary.
Other names being considered in Utah GOP circles include former Congressman and current Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz, former national security adviser Robert O’Brien and Utah Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes.
The poll of 801 registered Utah voters was conducted by Dan Jones and Associates between March 14-22 and had a margin of error of +/-3.46%.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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