Fifty-five percent of Americans say they have never heard of Independent candidate Evan McMullin, but in Utah he sits only one point back from Donald Trump, a UtahPolicy.com survey published Friday has found.
A conservative Mormon and graduate of Brigham Young University, McMullin offers an appealing alternative to Trump for conflicted Utah voters. Trump still manages to lead in the state with 30 percent, followed by McMullin at 29 percent and Clinton at 25 percent. Interestingly, Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, finished third in Utah in his 1992 election behind George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot.
But just because McMullin is Mormon doesn't make him a lock for LDS members. While he leads 43 percent to Trump's 31 percent with "very active" LDS voters, Trump leads McMullin by 15 points among "somewhat active" Mormons. "If you want to understand why Utah has suddenly become the flavor of the month among the political cognoscenti, look no further than independent voters," UtahPolicy.com explains. "Among that group, Trump comes in third place, with McMullin grabbing 31 percent, Clinton winning 27 percent, and Trump with 20 percent."
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The RealClearPolitics average for Utah between Aug. 19 and Oct. 14. shows Trump at 37 percent to Clinton's 23 percent, trailed by Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The UtahPolicy.com survey was conducted by Dan Jones & Associates between Oct. 12 and Oct. 18 among 818 likely Utah voters. It has a margin of error plus or minus 4 percent.
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