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SALT LAKE CITY — The rematch between Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, and Democrat Doug Owens is now considered "Lean Republican" by a closely watched, nonpartisan political rating entity that had labeled the race a toss-up.
The Cook Political Report on Friday cited a UtahPolicy.com poll showing Love ahead of Owens 51 percent to 38 percent in the 4th Congressional District that includes portions of Salt Lake, Utah, Juab and Sanpete counties.
Still, the report said that despite the decision to reclassify the race from a toss-up, "it remains highly competitive" with the contentious presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton playing a role.
Love "could be looking better by comparison" because she hasn't endorsed Trump, the report said, although she still has to worry about disaffected Republicans not going to the polls.
And Owens, the report said, can expect to be tied this election to "unpopular, liberal national Democrats" by the GOP after he came close to defeating Love in 2014 for a seat that had been held by a Democrat who chose not to run again, Jim Matheson.
Both candidates began airing television commercials in late August, but the Sutherland Institute's Boyd Matheson said "there's not energy" in the race yet despite the looming election.
Love's campaign manager, Dave Hansen, said that's not a problem for the incumbent.
"We feel pretty darn good," Hansen said. "As long as they want to be quiet, that's fine with us."
Owens' spokesman, Taylor Morgan, said the campaign recognizes there's work to do because about half of the district's voters still don't know who the Democratic candidate is.
"We're exactly where we expected to be," Morgan said. "We know exactly what needs to be done."
