(CNN) - Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah is down playing a new poll that could spell trouble for his re-election chances next year, as he runs for a seventh term in the Senate.
According to a Deseret News/KSL-TV survey of Utah voters released Sunday, 38 percent say that it's important to re-elect Hatch in 2012 because of his seniority, with nearly six in ten saying the senator's been in office too long and it's time to elect someone new.
The poll suggests that that new person could be a Democrat. It's been 35 years since a Democrat has represented Utah in the U.S. Senate. The survey indicates that if Rep. Jim Matheson becomes the Democratic nominee, Utah voters would be evenly split at 47 percent in a hypothetical general election matchup between the six term Democratic congressman and Hatch.
Hatch faces a possible primary challenge from GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz. According to the survey, Hatch holds a 47 to 44 percent margin over the two term congressman in a hypothetical primary matchup among those who said likely to vote in the GOP Senate primary.
"I'm surprised it's as good as it is, because incumbents are always down in the polls" this far out from an election, Hatch told the Deseret News. "It's too early."
Hatch added that once voters start paying attention to the race, they'll realize they won't want to lose his seniority and experience in the Senate.
While he has recently increased talk of a primary challenge, Chaffetz says he's not ready to announce a bid at this time. But he told the Deseret News he is please with the poll results.
"I really am seriously considering doing it," Chaffetz told the newspaper. "To be doing that well with the general public is astonishing, really. That's a very good sign."
In a hypothetical general election matchup against Matheson, Chaffetz holds a 46 to 45 percent margin.
The poll was conducted June 13-16 by Dan Jones and Associates (which also does polling for Hatch), with 46 registered voters in Utah questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus five percentage points.
– CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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I kinda like the guy, but 7 terms is about 4 or 5 too many.
Here's a quote from the Republican playbook.
Axiom 21: "When polls do not reflect our ideology it means our messaging is ineffective and not reaching the American people."
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In other words, they do not believe in poll results unless it reflects their ideology. Poor poll results means that they have a messaging problem influencing public perception and opinions. It is just simply not possible that the poll is a geniune rejection of their ideas. Bad polls is always a messaging problem. Sen. Hatch is demonstrating this mind set with his remarks to these poll results.
"Hatch added that once voters start paying attention to the race, they'll realize they won't want to lose his seniority and experience in the Senate"
Term Limits people!
It is time for " Career Politicians" like Hatch and McCain to go and put new blood and thinking into the system.
The poll was conducted June 13-16 by Dan Jones and Associates (which also does polling for Hatch), with 46 registered voters in Utah questioned by telephone.
46? that's it? please!
I like Hatch. I think he would make a good loser.
In Utah? You know the Republicans aren't doing well when they risk losing Utah!!
The poll was conducted June 13-16 by Dan Jones and Associates (which also does polling for Hatch), with 46 registered voters in Utah questioned by telephone.
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That's funny to me. If you do not like the results, then why release them to the public?
Term limits, these people need to stop thinking about re-elections and start thinking about taking care of the country more.
Oh really? why, cuz he's probably paying someone off to fix the election or has for the last 6 terms! typical republicans....they forget it's LIBERALS who have fought for their freedoms and rights
What does it say when the most conservative state says the most conservative Senator is outdated? I shutter at the thought.
B
Term Limits people!
It is time for " Career Politicians" like Hatch and McCain to go and put new blood and thinking into the system.
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does that comment include Matheson, the Democrat or are you speaking only in regard to Chaffetz??
I have never understood those who want to kick someone out of office simply because they've been there too long. Where else doyou hire someone to do a job for you and then fire them simply because they've been there too long? And – in the case of politics – seniority of a politician does benefit his/her consituents. So they'd be cutting their nose off to spite their face.
Not surprised with Senator Hatch's low poll numbers. The take over of the GOP by wingnuts, social conservatives, and Tea Party zealots is on schedule. At the next GOP presidential nomination convention, moderates will have been purged.
Further proof that the GOP has become irrelevant years ago.
He will be removed in 2012. Term limits for all.
Weiner will get 46,000 per year for his pension - wonder what Hatch will get? And that goes on as long as they live. I'd like to belong to THAT union (full health-care supplemented by the gov't too, I'm sure).