Poll: Utahans want McCain-Romney ticket

SALT LAKE CITY, June 22 (UPI) -- Most Utah voters say they would be more likely to vote for Republican John McCain for president if he picks Mitt Romney as his running mate, a poll shows.

The Deseret News/KSL-TV poll found that 59 percent of registered voters surveyed said a McCain-Romney ticket would boost their support for McCain.

However, if Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama were to choose Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as his vice presidential running mate, 57 percent of respondents say they would be less likely to vote for Obama.

The poll of 405 registered voters was conducted June 16-19 statewide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

"You don't usually vote for the vice president, but because of Romney and because of Hillary, this year could be different," pollster Dan Jones said. "It could have great impact," even in GOP-dominated Utah.

Romney won 90 percent of the vote in Utah's presidential primary last February before dropping out of the race for the White House. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is also the former leader of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.