Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)
- Primary date: June 30
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): June 19
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No (in-person registration canceled)
- Early voting starts: N/A (in-person voting canceled)
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 30 (postmarked)
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID
- Poll times: No polling hours (in-person voting canceled)
2022 →
← 2018
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| Utah's 1st Congressional District |
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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: Rob Bishop (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Utah |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Utah elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Blake Moore defeated Bob Stevenson, Kerry Gibson, and Katie Witt in the Republican primary for Utah's 1st Congressional District on June 30, 2020. Moore received 30.9% of the vote to Stevenson's 28.6%, Gibson's 23.6%, and Witt's 16.8%, advancing to the district's general election on November 3, 2020. Incumbent Rob Bishop (R), who was first elected in 2002, did not seek re-election, running instead for lieutenant governor.
A Republican Party convention was held on April 25, 2020, which narrowed down the candidate field for the primary from 12 candidates to four, with Gibson and Moore advancing from the convention with 53% and 40% support, respectively, and Witt and Stevenson having qualified for the ballot through signature petitions prior to the convention.[1][2]
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, as of June 15, the race "[appeared] close, but with half the voters still undecided."[3] In a debate on June 2, the candidates "took similar approaches to policy ... [but] stressed that what makes them uniquely qualified is their backgrounds and values," according to KUER.[4] To view the candidates' key messages, click here.
According to campaign finance reports covering all fundraising and spending through June 10, Moore led in fundraising with $358,000, followed by Stevenson with $354,000, Witt with $243,000, and Gibson with $201,000.[5]
Major independent observers rated the general election as Solid Republican or Safe Republican. The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+26, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 26 percentage points more Republican than the national average, making the district the 13th-most Republican nationally. Click here to learn more about what was at stake in the general election.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Gibson |
 Moore |
 Stevenson |
 Witt |
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the general election, click here.
Election procedure changes in 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 primary election process as follows:
- Candidate filing procedures: Candidate and campaigns were allowed to deliver petition sheets to voters electronically. Voters were allowed to return signed petition sheets electronically or by mail.
- Voting procedures: In-person Election Day voting, in-person early voting, and in-person voter registration in the primary election were cancelled.
- Political party events: The Democratic Party of Utah canceled both its caucuses and its state convention. The Republican Party of Utah postponed caucuses and canceled its in-person state convention.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jerry Carl | 38.7 | 38,490 |
| ✔ |  | Bill Hightower | 37.5 | 37,283 |
 | Chris Pringle | 19.2 | 19,126 | |
 | Wes Lambert | 3.1 | 3,102 | |
 | John Castorani | 1.5 | 1,468 | |
| Total votes: 99,469 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[6] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food (2019-2020)
Deputy Commissioner of Utah Department of National Resources (2018-2019)
Weber County Commissioner (2011-2018)
Utah House of Representatives (2005-2011)
Biography: Gibson earned a dairy herdsman degree from Utah State University. As of the 2020 election, his professional experience included operating a dairy farm and other small businesses.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 1 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Born and raised in Ogden, I learned responsibility, hard work, and how to rebound from my dad, and all about optimism and service from my mom. I began my career by serving our country in various civilian roles, most notably as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State. This service first took me to Washington DC, then as an independent consultant in Southeast Asia, and eventually back to Washington. Through my training and my time in federal service, I was able to serve alongside all branches of our military and obtain the patriotism my father, who served in the Army National Guard, says can only come through service. Today, I'm a Principal with the Cicero Group, a Utah-based management consulting firm with offices in Washington DC and Dallas. My primary role sits within the social impact practice area, which focuses on solving complex problems for non-profit and purpose-driven organizations. I also lead data collection and change management projects in the healthcare, higher education, marketing, waste, and transportation industries. I'm running for Congress because I am concerned about the lack of conservative leadership for the next generation of Americans. I am uniquely positioned to best represent the people and values that got this state and country to where we are today, and I am committed to ensuring these conservative values remain present and have a strong future in our na"
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 1 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Davis County Commissioner (Assumed office: 2019)
Mayor of Layton
Layton City Council
Biography: Stevenson graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. He attended a master’s degree program in distributive education at Utah State University. As of the 2020 election, Stevenson’s professional experience included teaching, sales, and home construction.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 1 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: Kaysville Mayor (Assumed office: 2017)
Submitted Biography: "Mayor Katie Witt is a community leader, wife, mother, and woman of faith who is committed to preserving freedom, expanding opportunity, and reigniting American Patriotism. Katie spent most of her childhood growing up in Utah where her father covered the Utah State Legislature as a journalist for the Associated Press. Through this experience, Katie developed a strong respect for public service and Freedom of Speech. As people of faith, Katie's parents provided real life lessons in what it looks like to stand for freedom by housing refugees fleeing from Communist countries. Katie learned firsthand how an all-powerful government tries to crush the human spirit. Following her term in city government, the Witts moved to Kaysville, Utah where Katie created the innovative local online community Kaysville Condensed to show people how their local government works. Additionally, Katie was elected President of the Kaysville Rotary. Tapping into the passionate following she created through Kaysville Condensed, Katie Witt was then elected Mayor of Kaysville in 2017 where she is demonstrating bold leadership by creating Kaysville's first-ever 20 year comprehensive plan that secures road and building improvements, expands broadband, and increases opportunities for all residents, without raising taxes. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 1 in 2020.
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry Gibson | Republican Party | $260,506 | $260,506 | $0 | As of November 13, 2020 |
| Blake Moore | Republican Party | $863,677 | $835,315 | $28,362 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Bob Stevenson | Republican Party | $416,912 | $415,705 | $1,206 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Katie Witt | Republican Party | $288,346 | $288,248 | $97 | As of December 31, 2020 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Primaries in Utah
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Utah, state law allows parties to decide who may vote in their primaries.[7] Check Vote.Utah.gov for details about upcoming elections.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
What was at stake in the general election?
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[8]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[9][10][11]
| Race ratings: Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+26, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 26 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Utah's 1st Congressional District the 14th most Republican nationally.[12]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.00. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.00 points toward that party.[13]
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Utah District 1
Incumbent Robert Bishop defeated Lee Castillo, Eric Eliason, and Adam Davis in the general election for U.S. House Utah District 1 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Bishop (R) | 61.6 | 156,692 |
 | Lee Castillo (D) | 24.9 | 63,308 | |
| Eric Eliason (Independent) | 11.6 | 29,547 | ||
| Adam Davis (G) | 1.9 | 4,786 | ||
| Total votes: 254,333 | |||
| = 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 primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 1
Lee Castillo defeated Kurt Frederick Weiland in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 1 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lee Castillo | 57.2 | 7,273 |
 | Kurt Frederick Weiland | 42.8 | 5,439 | |
| Total votes: 12,712 | |||
| = 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
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robert Bishop advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 1.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Rob Bishop (R) defeated Peter Clemens (D), Craig Bowden (L), and Chadwick Fairbanks III (Independent) in the general election on November 8, 2016. David Yu-Lin Chiu was eliminated in the Republican convention on April 23, 2016.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Rob Bishop Incumbent |
65.9% | 182,925 | |
| Democratic | Peter Clemens | 26.4% | 73,380 | |
| Libertarian | Craig Bowden | 5.9% | 16,296 | |
| Independent | Chadwick Fairbanks III | 1.7% | 4,850 | |
| Total Votes | 277,451 | |||
| Source: Utah Secretary of State | ||||
2014
Incumbent Rob Bishop won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. He defeated Donna McAleer, Craig Bowden and Dwayne Vance in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rob Bishop Incumbent |
64.8% | 84,231 | |
| Democratic | Donna McAleer | 28% | 36,422 | |
| Libertarian | Craig Bowden | 3.7% | 4,847 | |
| Independent American | Dwayne Vance | 3.5% | 4,534 | |
| Total Votes | 130,034 | |||
| Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor, "Elections," | ||||
State profile
- See also: Utah and Utah elections, 2020
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of June 25, 2020.
Presidential voting pattern
- Utah voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from Utah were Republicans.
- Utah had one Democratic and three Republican U.S. Representatives.
State executives
- Republicans held five of Utah's 28 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Utah's governor was Republican Gary Herbert.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Utah State Senate with a 23-6 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Utah House of Representatives with a 59-16 majority.
Utah Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
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|
| Demographic data for Utah | ||
|---|---|---|
| Utah | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,990,632 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 82,170 | 3,531,905 |
| 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. | ||
See also
- Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)
- Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in Utah, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Utah, 2020 (June 30 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Standard-Examiner, "1st District U.S. House hopefuls vie for support at GOP, Democratic conventions," April 24, 2020
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Morning Digest," April 28, 2020
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah’s 1st District Republican primary features plenty of controversy," June 15, 2020
- ↑ KUER, "Republican Candidates For Utah's 1st Congressional District Say Experience Sets Them Apart," June 2, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Utah - House District 01," accessed June 26, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code § 20A-9-403. Regular primary elections." accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Utah Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Filings," accessed March 19, 2016
