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New poll shows Evan McMullin leading Trump, Clinton in Utah

Posted at 1:42 PM, Oct 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-19 23:59:41-04

A new poll just released shows Evan McMullin is now leading in Utah.

The poll from Emerson College shows the Utah native leads Donald Trump by four points, 31 percent to 27 percent, and that leaves Hillary Clinton with only 24 percent in the Beehive State.

Click here to see the full poll results from Emerson College.

The Brigham Young University graduate with an Ivy League business degree is running as an Independent for President of the United States.

"What we`ve really seen, is every poll is showing Evan McMullin going up," explained Hinckley Institute of Politics Director Jason Perry.

Despite the poll, McMullin himself is the first to admit his chances are slim. He's a relatively little-known candidate whose name doesn't appear on the ballot in a number of states.

"Yes, the odds of victory are long and difficult," McMullin said, during a speech at a press event in the Utah state capitol building on Wednesday. Local council members, mayors and state legislators stood behind him in support.

They pushed the message of voting to support principles, rather than probability.

"The question is, why would they vote for someone that is not going to win as President of the United States?" Perry rhetorically asked. "It's because they want to vote their conscious. They still want to vote for someone they believe is the best person for the job."

McMullin's campaign mentioned they'll target surrounding states like Idaho. According to Perry, if enough voters make the switch there's the possibility of an election shake-up.

"Really what he wants to do is position himself that if for some reason neither Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton are able to get 270 electoral votes, there`s some kind of chance for it to go to the House of Representatives," Perry explained. "That`s really his hope, if there is one."

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