CQ Risk Rating: Leans Democratic 
| GENERAL ELECTION: NOVEMBER 7, 2000 |
|
| Jim Matheson (D) | 145,021 | 56% |
| Derek W. Smith (R) | 107,114 | 41% |
| Bruce Bangerter (IA) | 4,704 | 2% |
| Peter Pixon (LIBERT) | 2,165 | 1% |
| Steven A. Voris (X) | 597 | 0% |
| PRIMARY ELECTION: JUNE 27, 2000 |
|
| | Votes | Percentage | | Democratic |
| Jim Matheson | Unopposed |
| | Independent American |
| Bruce Bangerter | Unopposed |
| | Libertarian |
| Peter Pixon | Unopposed |
| | Republican |
| Derek W. Smith | 37,494 | 59% |
| Merrill Cook | 26,199 | 41% |
| | Not applicable |
| Steven A. Voris | Unopposed |
Source: Congressional Quarterly. To suggest updates and corrections: politics.feedback@cq.com
Major Industry | Population | Cities | People | Race | Median Household Income | Unusual Features
UTAH 2
:
Central - Parts of Salt Lake City
Southeast of the world's second-largest saltwater lake lies Salt Lake
City, the capital of Utah and the core of the 2nd. Taking in most of the
city and surrounding county, the 2nd is home to a well-educated,
white-collar workforce. The Historic Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake
City serves as a reminder that this is the heart of the Mormon church but,
ironically, the city's diversity makes it the least Mormon part of Utah.
While the Salt Lake area's economy didn't fare so well in the 1980s,
with cuts in defense spending and some major employers leaving, the 1990s
brought growth - more than 100,000 people moved into Salt Lake County, many
of them settling in the city's southwestern suburbs. Companies, attracted to
the city's low cost of living, right-to-work laws and well-educated workers,
also have been gravitating to the area. Financial services play a dominant
role in the economy, with computer and biotechnology firms also making their
presence felt. The 2002 Winter Olympics is expected to provide a boost.
Democrats held the 2nd in the late 1980s and early '90s, losing the seat
in 1994. Mormons provide reliable support for Republicans, but the district
has enough cultural and racial diversity to keep conservative Democrats
competitive. This is evident at the local level, where Democrats do well in
Salt Lake City proper. Suburbs to the south and southwest remain more
Republican.
Major Industry
Financial services, manufacturing, tourism
Population
574,412 (1990)
Cities
Salt Lake City (pt.), 120,669; Taylorsville-Bennion (pt.), 47,327 (1990);
Sandy, 94,593 (1996)
People
100% urban; 9% age 65+ (ranks second of three in state; bottom third
nationally); 60% married couples, 34% married couples with children; 27%
college educated (ranks first of three in state; top third nationally); 66%
white collar (ranks first of three in state; top third nationally), 21% blue
collar (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)
Race
94% white, 1% black, 2% Asian; 5% Hispanic origin (1990)
Median Household Income
$30,960 (ranks first of three in state; middle third nationally) (1990)
Unusual Features
Downtown's Temple Square includes the tabernacle and the towering Latter-Day
Saints headquarters building across the street; Alta and Snowbird ski
resorts - "the greatest snow on earth" - are right outside the city; U. of
Utah science professor James W. Cronin won the Nobel Prize in physics in
1980.
Source: Congressional Quarterly (Updated April 1999)
Front | Political News | Elections | The Issues | Federal Page | Polls
Columns - Cartoons | Live Online | Online Extras | Photo Galleries | Video - Audio
|
District 2
