Washington » Sen. Orrin Hatch should count himself fortunate he is not up for re-election this year -- otherwise Republican delegates might have bounced Utah's longest-serving U.S. senator.

And Rep. Jason Chaffetz might be kicking himself for not chasing a U.S. Senate seat this year. Could a 2012 pursuit beckon Utah's newest congressman?

A new Salt Lake Tribune poll of delegates to the GOP's May 8 state convention shows 71 percent would be inclined to nominate someone other than Hatch if he were on this year's ballot.

The six-term senator couldn't even muster a favorable rating from a majority of the delegates, according to the poll, which carries a 4.4 percent margin of error. Forty-five percent gave him an unfavorable rating and 44 percent a favorable one.

Republican delegates weren't divided about Chaffetz. They like him, with 82 percent viewing him favorably -- the highest rating of any Utahn in Congress or any of this year's major GOP candidates for Senate.

Those numbers come as sweet news for Chaffetz, but may leave a bit of a sour taste since the freshman House member flirted with the idea of taking on Sen. Bob Bennett this year. Bennett's unfavorable rating, according to The Tribune 's delegate survey, was 61 percent compared with 28 percent favorable.

"I have no regrets," Chaffetz said Monday. "I'm still counting the number of months I've been here."

Chaffetz, now in his second year in the House, declined to say whether his poll numbers would open up an opportunity for him to jump to the Senate in two years, when Hatch plans to seek a seventh term.

"I will continue to keep all my options open," Chaffetz said. "It certainly is flattering and it puts a big smile on my face, but that's a long ways away."

Read more at the Salt Lake Tribune