Opinion: Is Sen. Orrin Hatch the next Utah Republican in trouble--with Republicans?

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As the Salt Lake Tribune put it, there was a time in Utah politics when Republican officeholders could view their first election as a lifetime appointment. Not anymore.

First, members of the state GOP meeting Saturday declined to let Sen. Robert F. Bennett seek a fourth term. Now a poll in the Salt Lake Tribune suggests trouble for his longtime Senate partner and fellow Republican, Orrin G. Hatch. He’s not up for reelection, and perhaps that’s a good thing.

The poll, which the paper reported Tuesday, found that 51% of respondents said they would elect someone other than Hatch if he were up for reelection this year. The poll found that 35% would support him. The rest were undecided.

The poll of 400 likely voters was conducted April 26-28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Follow this link to the Tribune’s report.

As for Bennett, on Tuesday he left open the possibility that he might run as a write-in candidate.

-- Steve Padilla

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Photo: Orrin G. Hatch. Credit: Associated Press.