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Utahns appear to still be getting to know Gary Herbert after he has spent three months on the job as governor.
Half of Utah's registered voters had a favorable impression of the job Herbert has done since taking over for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., but nearly a quarter of those surveyed had no opinion of the job Herbert has done, according to a poll conducted for The Salt Lake Tribune .
"It's certainly not the numbers we've seen from Jon Huntsman and Mike Leavitt and so forth, but it's not necessarily a bad number at this point," said LaVarr Webb, a political consultant who was an adviser to former Gov. Leavitt. "I think it reflects the fact that, especially with the high number of undecideds, the jury is still out
Herbert's spokeswoman, Angie Welling, said the numbers appear encouraging, and she expects people will warm to the new governor.
"We view those as favorable," she said. "I think the number of undecideds is to be expected given his relatively short time in office, and we're confident as we move forward those [favorable] numbers will inch up."
Elizabeth Saling of Midvale says she is still watching to see what Herbert does on health care reform and education, but so far hasn't seen much to sway her opinion of the governor one way or the other.
"I have no idea because he hasn't been in that long," she said. "I assume things are going well. ... I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of
It appears Saling is not alone.
"I think the Legislature is still in that same boat," said House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton. "We're waiting to see what kind of budget he puts forward and how he manages this [policy-wise]."
Utahns may get a better sense of Herbert's priorities next month, when he releases his proposal for Utah's cash-strapped budget, which the governor has vowed to balance without raising taxes.
He will enter his first legislative session without anywhere near the public support Huntsman enjoyed. When Huntsman took the oath of office for his second term earlier this year after winning re-election by a record margin, 83 percent of Utahns approved of the job he had done.
Much of that support appears to not have transferred to Herbert, particularly among Democrats, 84 percent of whom approved of Huntsman's performance. Just 22 percent of Democrats now support Herbert.
But Garn said that, when it comes to making policy, it's not a popularity contest.
"Approval ratings don't really have any impact on how we interact with the governor," he said. "It's more his policy direction and this next session how he puts together the budget. We're really anxious to see what kind of budget he sends us."
Sherri Labaugh of Salt Lake City said she was sorry to see Huntsman leave. She does not drink, but supported changes to Utah's 40-year-old private club law that were spearheaded by the former governor. She hasn't formed a strong opinion about Herbert.
"He seems, to me, very, very quiet. I don't really know a lot about what he may or may not have done," she said.
Utah Democratic Party executive director Todd Taylor said the poll shows that Herbert is "an unknown quantity," and predicts that, as voters get to know Herbert, more will find fault in the new governor.
"There's a clear opportunity in a campaign setting for somebody else.... He's open [to challenges] both within the general population and within the Republican Party," Taylor said.
Herbert will be seeking election next year, but thus far has no declared challengers. Several prospective Republican challengers have opted not to run. His most formidable Democratic opponent, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, has said he is exploring his options.
"I would be really surprised if he faced any challenge from the right from the Republican Party, even with these approval ratings that aren't sky-high, but they're not real negative, either," Webb said. "It may give someone like Peter Corroon more hope this race could be winnable."
Regardless of who runs, Herbert will start with a large advantage in campaign cash, after raking in roughly $1 million at an unprecedented fundraiser last month.
