So says a recent Mason-Dixon poll for The Salt Lake Tribune. Of 625 registered voters surveyed across Utah, 73 percent plan to hand Huntsman a second term, while 17 percent said they will vote for Springmeyer.

Huntsman, who said he doesn't put much stock in polls, attributed his lead to job approval more than campaign acumen.

"That's our primary re-election strategy," Huntsman said, "For me to be a good governor and to focus on the issues that are important to the people,"

According to the Oct. 23-25 poll, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, a Republican, will also roll to a third term. Shurtleff came in at 59 percent compared with Democrat Jean Welch Hill's 20 percent.

The survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, puts undecided voters at 8 percent for the governor's race and 17 percent in the attorney general's contest. "Those are good numbers," Shurtleff said. "It's a comment on the fact that people feel more safe than they did eight years ago."

Surprised at the double-digit votes in limbo, Shurtleff acknowledged that some are "still not quite sure about the office."

Just last week he spent $200,000 on television ads, according to his newly filed campaign finance disclosure.

Springmeyer has risen 8 points since an August 13-15 poll for the Tribune, The Denver Post and other papers.

The attorney general's race was not part of that survey, but Hill has shown improvement from other previous polls.

"We made [Shurtleff] answer for some things," Hill said.

From his encounters with voters around the state, Springmeyer said he expects his actual numbers to be higher on Election Day.

"I'd obviously be tickled to death if we were up in the 40 percent range," Springmeyer added.

One discomforting note for Springmeyer was that Huntsman was supported by 49 percent of self-identified Democrats and 58 percent of independents, in addition to 90 percent of Republicans.

Michael Lyons, an associate political science professor at Utah State University, expected Huntsman's overwhelming lead.

"He's been independent and a moderate," Lyons said. "And Utah's economy is relatively strong compared to other states."

Lyons also anticipated Shurtleff's dominance.

"The farther down the ticket you are, the more incumbency helps you," Lyons said. "Unless there's an enormous scandal or some other big issue, you would expect a competent incumbent to be returned to office."

Both Springmeyer and Hill raised the issue of cell phones, the surge in young voters and polls that are limited to land-line calls.

Dan Jones, co-owner of Salt Lake City's Dan Jones & Associates, acknowledged that the 18 to 34 age group is hard to reach. "This year that group is energized," Jones said. "So it's a real possibility that many polls will be further off because they're not getting the entire voting audience."

Brad Coker, managing director for the Washington D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. said their survey did not include cell phone users for a number of reasons.

"They're not fixed geographically and there are thousands of cell phone numbers that don't work," Coker said. Also, the call would be on the recipient's dime.

"As long as you have the right percentage of voters between 18 and 34, it doesn't matter if you talk to them on a land line or a cell phone," Coker added.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com