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Richard Piatt Reporting After ten years in Congress, Chris Cannon is facing his toughest challenge yet.
Results of an exclusive Dan Jones poll for Eyewitness News and the Deseret Morning News tells the story: Political newcomer John Jacob is giving Congressman Cannon a real run for his money.
Today, Cannon says he is confident. But he's not taking anything for granted either. In the meantime, Jacob's campaign is dealing with a few unexpected challenges.
John Jacob is spending a lot of his day explaining comments he made to a newspaper that the devil--Satan--is behind some recent bad fortune. He's not too worried about how those comments might affect his campaign.
John Jacob (R) Candidate For Congress: "I think the way I tried to explain it was in the last ten months I've had more adversity than I've had in the last ten years. So chalk it up to whom you'd like."
Even before that issue broke, both Jacob and Congressman Chris Cannon were getting national media attention. Their primary race, with it's heavy focus on immigration, is widely seen as a litmus test on the issue, that could affect the debate in Congress.
Rep. Chris Cannon (R) Utah: "He keeps saying I've flip-flopped on immigration. I'd like to see him show where I've ever changed."
The GOP Candidates
Utah Third District, Congress
Rep. Chris Cannon 46%
John Jacob 33%
Don't Know/Refuse 22%
+/- 4%
But fresh poll results from Dan Jones and Associates show Jacob is giving Cannon a serious challenge.
Among 617 Third District registered voters, Cannon is ahead by 13 per cent. But his support is not over 50 per cent--a lead Jones typically sees for an incumbent. Plus, a large number of undecided voters could leave the race up for grabs.
High Interest
Rep. Chris Cannon 49%
John Jacob 39%
Don't Know/Refuse 9%
+/- 4%
Of the 117 people who show a lot of interest in the race, the most likely to vote, Cannon leads by 10 points, 49- to 39 per cent. Jacob only sees opportunity here.
John Jacob (R) Candidate For Congress: "All the polls we've done show that the incumbent is not where he needs to be to be able to win. And it depends on who votes. If we can get people out to vote, we'll win."
Rep. Chris Cannon (R) Utah: "This is a close race. The key is, is it going to be decided by the few who get out and vote, or by a lot of people who get out and vote? I'm hoping for a lot, by the way."
There are other factors affecting the race, too. Jacob sees The President and First Lady's Cannon endorsement is a sign Cannon is in trouble. Cannon is waiting to see how Jacobs comments about the devil--and past gambling activity--will affect public perception. There will be much more detailed information in this weekend's Deseret Morning News: Including a close look at how important the immigration issue really is to 3rd District voters.
