GOP Hopes to Swallow Matheson With Ad Push [UT-02]

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 10/30/02 | Dan Harrie

[BlackRazor]

GOP Hopes to Swallow Matheson With Ad Push

Wednesday, October 30, 2002

BY DAN HARRIE

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

National Republicans finally have plunged into Utah's 2nd Congressional District race, suddenly pouring in an estimated $250,000 in advertising and releasing a poll showing GOP challenger John Swallow neck-and-neck with Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson.

Matheson has only a "hair-splitting lead" of 44 percent to 43 percent, according to the poll commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee and released Tuesday.

The survey of 300 likely voters, conducted last week by the Tarrance Group, had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.8 percent, said the NRCC, the political and fund-raising arm of the Republican majority in the U.S. House.

At the same time, the NRCC and National Republican Party have engineered a TV ad blitz during the last few days of the campaign.

"Jim Matheson is a Democrat who is a misfit for this district," said Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., and NRCC finance chairman. "He has become probably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the country."

While Weller said he could not confirm the $250,000 NRCC ad campaign estimated by Matheson, Weller said the amount "sounds accurate."

"We're very committed to John. We're here to support him," said Weller.

Matheson shrugged off the investment and the poll as campaign tactics aimed at creating artificial momentum, similar to what he saw in the last week of the 2000 election. Matheson beat Derek Smith in that contest by a convincing 15 percentage points.

"It's not a new idea," said Matheson. "We saw this last time and this is not a big cause for concern for me."

The Democrats' campaign is doing its own tracking polls, he said, adding, "I feel very comfortable with our internal numbers."

"I've always said this is going to be a close race because of the gerrymander. But we have room to give and we'll still come out OK," said Matheson. Redistricting by the Republican-controlled Legislature last year drastically altered the district's boundaries.

An independent poll commissioned by The Salt Lake Tribune is scheduled for publication Sunday.

Matheson has outspent Swallow throughout the race, and has been running two to three times as many television spots as the Republican. With new national GOP funds flowing into the contest, that TV ad gap should close somewhat in the remaining days before Tuesday's election.

[BlackRazor]

Poll Ping!

This is a partisan poll, so take with a grain of salt. Still, the race appears to have tightened significantly from a couple months ago, when Matheson was up by more than 20 points.

If you want on or off my poll ping list, let me know!

[KQQL]

HMMM. but still it's a party poll

[KQQL]

HMMM. but still it's a party poll