Report finds gaps between Utah voters and party delegates
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A new report reveals ideological divides and priority gaps between Utah's party delegates and the voters they aim to represent.
State of play: Republican and Democratic delegates appeared more pessimistic than voters about the state's trajectory, according to the report by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan policy research organization.
By the numbers: 84% of Democratic and 55% of Republican delegates said the state is heading in the wrong direction, compared with Democratic (79%) and Republican voters (42%).
- Republican delegates prioritized the shrinking Great Salt Lake and women's rights more than GOP voters, while placing slightly less emphasis on housing and roads.
- Democratic delegates said overreach and crime were less important compared with their voters.
What they're saying: "Utah's Republican delegates are somewhat more conservative than Republican voters, while Democratic delegates are about the same as Democratic voters," the report found.
Between the lines: Delegates for both parties are more likely to be white and male, have more education, be actively religious and earn higher incomes than the electorate, per the report.
What's next: Republicans are set to convene Saturday at a state organizing convention at Utah Valley University to select the Utah GOP's next leader.
- Current chair Robert Axson, whom President Trump backs, is facing a challenge from former state Rep. Phil Lyman.
- Lyman, who lost against Gov. Spencer Cox in the gubernatorial primary last year, was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after he was convicted of leading an illegal ATV protest on federal land.
How it works: The Utah Foundation worked with Y2 Analytics to gather responses across three surveys in 2024.