According to a new Emerson poll, third party candidate Evan McMullin is leading in Utah, ahead of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. McMullin got 31% of the vote; Trump 27%, and Clinton 24%.
Emerson reports:
It appears that the divisive GOP primary, which was won by conservative Senator Ted Cruz with 69%, has left voters looking for an alternative to the GOP nominee. For example, 51% of Cruz primary voters are backing McMullin while 29% are voting for Trump. Among Utah’s Republican primary voters who supported the second-place finisher, Ohio Governor John Kasich, only 4% say they plan to vote for Trump in November. McMullin draws his strongest support from young people, ages 18-34. He is winning 36% of their vote while Trump and Clinton each get 22%. Trump leads McMullin 35% to 24% among those who are 55 and over.
Statistician Nate Silver has, accordingly, raised McMullin’s chances of winning Utah:
The most recent poll of Utah before the Emerson poll, the Heat Street/Rasmussen poll, found Trump at 30%, McMullin at 29%, and Clinton at 28%.