Poll: McAdams neck and neck with GOP challenger in Utah

The race for Utah’s 4th District is nearly deadlocked with Republican challenger Burgess Owens leading incumbent Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams by only 1 point in a new poll from Deseret News and the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics.

Among 800 likely voters surveyed, 46 percent said they would vote for Owens while 45 percent said they would go for McAdams. 

“It hasn’t been a great month for Republicans overall in most polling data so to see Owens gaining some ground was a bit surprising. But realistically, the race was close a month ago with a very slight edge to McAdams. Now it’s as pure a toss-up as can possibly be,” said independent pollster Scott Rasmussen.

The Utah district largely leans red, and McAdams beat Republican Rep. Mia Love in 2018 by less than 700 votes.

Both of this year’s candidates are seeing their favorability sink amid a barrage of attack ads from each side. Forty-seven percent of voters viewing McAdams unfavorably, compared to 36 percent in September, while 42 percent view Burgess unfavorably, up from 33 percent last month.

Rasmussen said that turnout for the presidential election would have a substantial effect on who secures victory in Utah’s 4th District, with the final presidential debate this week having the potential to change several voters’ minds.

“This race will be affected by the national mood,” Rasmussen said.

The poll was conducted from Oct. 12 to 17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.