Utah gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020

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2024
2016
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Utah
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 19, 2020
Primary: June 30, 2020
General: November 3, 2020

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R)
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Utah
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2020
Impact of term limits in 2020
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
Utah
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Auditor
Treasurer
State Board of Education (9 seats)

Utah held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 3, 2020. The primary was scheduled for June 30, 2020. The filing deadline was March 19, 2020.

On October 20, 2020, Chris Peterson (D) and Spencer Cox (R) garnered national media attention following the release two joint ads in which they spoke about civility and transfer of power.

Spencer Cox won the June 30 Republican primary with 36.1% of the vote. Jon Huntsman was second with 34.9%. Chris Peterson won the April 25 Democratic convention. Gregory Duerden (Independent American Party of Utah), Daniel Rhead Cottam (L), and Richard Whitney (Independent, write-in) were also running in the general election.

Democratic Party For more information on the Democratic convention, click here.
Republican Party For more information on the Republican primary, click here.

Utah's 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Utah, the state legislature is responsible for enacting both congressional and state legislative district plans (an advisory redistricting commission is involved in the drafting process). District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Utah modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: The third-party collection and return of absentee ballots was restricted to individuals residing in the same household as the voter.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of Utah

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Utah on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SpencerCox.jpg
Spencer Cox (R)
 
63.0
 
918,754
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Chris_Peterson_Utah.JPG
Chris Peterson (D) Candidate Connection
 
30.3
 
442,754
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/dcottam.png
Daniel Cottam (L)
 
3.5
 
51,393
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Gregory_Duerden.jpg
Gregory Duerden (Independent American Party of Utah) Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
25,810
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Madeline Kazantzis (Independent) (Write-in)
 
1.3
 
18,988
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/kconlin.jpg
Kristena Conlin (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.1
 
937
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Richard__Whitney.PNG
Richard Whitney (Independent) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
230
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Tyler Batty (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
12

Total votes: 1,458,878
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Utah

Spencer Cox defeated Jon Huntsman, Gregory Hughes, and Thomas Wright in the Republican primary for Governor of Utah on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SpencerCox.jpg
Spencer Cox
 
36.1
 
190,565
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Ambassador_Jon_Huntsman.jpg
Jon Huntsman
 
34.9
 
184,246
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Gregory_Hughes.jpg
Gregory Hughes
 
21.0
 
110,835
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Thomas_Wright_Utah2.jpg
Thomas Wright
 
7.9
 
41,532

Total votes: 527,178
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Governor of Utah

The following candidates ran in the Democratic convention for Governor of Utah on April 25, 2020.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican convention

Republican Convention for Governor of Utah

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Gregory Hughes in round 6 , and Spencer Cox in round 6 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.


Total votes: 3,579
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Lieutenant governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Utah

The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Deidre_Henderson_20230523_085920.jpg
Deidre Henderson (R)
 
63.0
 
918,754
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KarinaBrown.jpg
Karina Andelin Brown (D) Candidate Connection
 
30.4
 
442,754
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/BarryEvanShort.jpeg
Barry Evan Short (L)
 
3.5
 
51,393
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Wayne Hill (Independent American Party of Utah)
 
1.8
 
25,810
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Ed Kennedy (Independent) (Unofficially withdrew) (Write-in)
 
1.3
 
18,988
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Gregory Johnson (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
12

Total votes: 1,457,711
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah

Deidre Henderson defeated Michelle Kaufusi, Victor Iverson, and Robert Bishop in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Deidre_Henderson_20230523_085920.jpg
Deidre Henderson
 
36.1
 
190,565
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MichelleKaufusi1.jpg
Michelle Kaufusi
 
34.9
 
184,246
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Victor Iverson
 
21.0
 
110,835
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Rob_Bishop.jpg
Robert Bishop
 
7.9
 
41,532

Total votes: 527,178
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah

Karina Andelin Brown advanced from the Democratic convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on April 25, 2020.

Candidate
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KarinaBrown.jpg
Karina Andelin Brown (D) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah

Deidre Henderson and Victor Iverson defeated Drew Chamberlain and Dan McCay in the Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on April 25, 2020.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Campaign advertisements

On October 20, 2020, Peterson and Cox released two joint ads in which they spoke about civility and transfer of power.

"We Approve" - Peterson and Cox ad, released October 20, 2020
"Stand United" - Peterson and Cox ad, released October 20, 2020

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Utah in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Utah, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Utah Governor Qualified party 28,000 Fixed number $834.13 Fixed number 3/19/2020 Source
Utah Governor Unaffiliated 1,000 Fixed number $834.13 Fixed number 3/19/2020 Source

Past elections

2016

See also: Utah gubernatorial election, 2016

General election

Incumbents Gary Herbert and Spencer Cox defeated Mike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman, Brian Kamerath and Barry Short, Dell Schanze and Gregory Duerden, and L.S. Brown in the Utah governor and lieutenant governor election.

Utah Governor, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Gary Herbert and Spencer Cox Incumbent 66.75% 750,828
     Democratic Mike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman 28.67% 322,462
     Libertarian Brian Kamerath and Barry Short 3.08% 34,687
     Independent American Party Dell Schanze and Gregory Duerden 1.51% 16,936
     Write-in L.S. Brown 0.00% 0
Total Votes 1,124,913
Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office-Elections

Primary election

Utah Republican primary for governor and lieutenant governor, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGary Herbert and Spencer Cox (incumbents) 72.1% 165,678
Jonathan Johnson (Utah) and Robyn Bagley 27.9% 63,978
Total Votes 229,656
Election results via Utah Secretary of State; all precincts reporting.

2012

Governor of Utah General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Peter Cooke and Vince Rampton 27.7% 253,514
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngGary Herbert and Greg Bell Incumbent 68.4% 624,678
     Libertarian Ken Larsen and Rob Latham 2.2% 19,956
     Constitution Kirk Pearson and Tim Alders 1.7% 15,548
Total Votes 913,696
Election results via State of Utah



About the offices

Governor

Main article: Governor of Utah

The governor of the state of Utah is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch, and the highest state office in Utah. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is not subject to term limits.[1]

See also: Utah State Legislature, Utah House of Representatives, Utah State Senate

Lieutenant governor

Main article: Lieutenant Governor of Utah

The lieutenant governor of the state of Utah is an elected statutory officer, the second-ranking officer of the executive branch, and the first officer in line to succeed the governor. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is not subject to term limits.[2]

State profile

Demographic data for Utah
 UtahU.S.
Total population:2,990,632316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):82,1703,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:87.6%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:2.2%5.1%
Native American:1.1%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.9%0.2%
Two or more:2.6%3%
Hispanic/Latino:13.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.2%86.7%
College graduation rate:31.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$60,727$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.7%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Utah.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Utah

Utah voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.


More Utah coverage on Ballotpedia

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Utah. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Utah with 45.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 27.5 percent. Independent candidate and Utah native Evan McMullin received 21.5 percent of the vote, his strongest showing in a state. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Utah cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same timeframe, Utah supported Republican candidates more often than Democrats, 73.3 to 23.3 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Utah. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[3][4]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won seven out of 75 state House districts in Utah with an average margin of victory of 20.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 19 out of 75 state House districts in Utah with an average margin of victory of 21.9 points. Clinton won six districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 68 out of 75 state House districts in Utah with an average margin of victory of 54.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 56 out of 75 state House districts in Utah with an average margin of victory of 30.7 points.


Voter guides

2020 State Cannabis Voter Guides

See also

Utah government:

Previous elections:

Ballotpedia exclusives:

External links

Footnotes