Inflation and the continuing pandemic are taking a massive toll on how Utahns perceive President Joe Biden’s job performance.
A new Utah Public Opinion Pulse survey from OH Predictive Insights finds Biden’s favorability has cratered, dropping 20 points since August. Only 32% of the Beehive State’s registered voters view Biden favorably, while 63% hold an unfavorable opinion of him, a net favorability of minus 31%.
Graphic courtesy of OH Public Insights
Unsurprisingly, Biden’s favorability took the biggest hit among Republicans. In August, his net favorability among registered GOP voters was minus 37%, dropping to minus 68% in November. Democrats also soured a bit on Biden, with his net favorability dropping from 78% in August to 62% last month but remaining in positive territory. Biden’s net total slid slightly among independent voters, from minus 3% in August to minus 15% in November.
“Although Utah doesn’t have the same battleground status as other states in the Southwest, the data is telling a similar story in Utah as it has told in Arizona and Nevada: Voters across the aisle are increasingly disappointed in the job Biden is doing, and they are turning their frustrations to Democratic officeholders and candidates,” Mike Noble, OHPI chief of research, said in a news release.
Even though Biden beat Republican Donald Trump by 11 points in Salt Lake County in 2020, voters view his job performance negatively, with 52% of voters disapproving while 44% approve.
Biden’s Build Back Better plan is also struggling for popularity among Utah voters. The OHPI poll finds nearly half of Utah voters (48%) oppose the massive social spending plan, while just 39% favor it.
Graphic courtesy OH Public Insights
Democrats in Utah overwhelmingly support Build Back Better, with 85% saying they either “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the program. Republicans, on the other hand, are opposed. Nearly half of GOP voters (48%) are “strongly” against the bill, with another 20% “somewhat” opposed. Independents are more split — 45% favor Biden’s plan, while 38% are opposed.
The survey also asked voters which party they believe is better at running state government. More than half (51%) of Utahns said they favored Republicans in charge, while 20% said Democrats.
The survey was conducted using an online opt-in panel from Nov. 5 to 15, 2021. Some 671 voters were surveyed with a margin of error plus or minus 3.8%.
