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Utah gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial 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)
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| 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 |
| 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 |
Spencer Cox defeated Gregory Hughes, Jon Huntsman, and Thomas Wright in the Republican Party primary for Utah governor on June 30, 2020.[1] Cox received 36.1% of the vote. Huntsman was second with 34.9%. Incumbent Gov. Gary Herbert (R) did not seek re-election.
Each candidate referred to his background as equipping him to lead the state's economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3]
Click here for background information about and statements from the candidates. Click here for videos and coverage of debates and forums.
Cox, Huntsman, and Wright qualified for the ballot through signature petitions. Cox, Utah's lieutenant governor, also participated in the state Republican Party's April 25 convention. He and Hughes advanced from the convention with 55% and 45% support, respectively. Three candidates were eliminated from the running at the convention.[4]
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.
Cox ran on a ticket with Deidre Henderson for lieutenant governor. Hughes ran with Victor Iverson. Huntsman's running mate was Michelle Kaufusi. Wright ran with Rob Bishop.
This page focuses on Utah's Republican gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Utah's Democratic gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Utah gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (April 25 Democratic convention)
- Utah gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020
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
Governor
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Utah
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Spencer Cox | 36.1 | 190,565 |
 | Jon Huntsman | 34.9 | 184,246 | |
 | Gregory Hughes | 21.0 | 110,835 | |
 | Thomas Wright | 7.9 | 41,532 | |
| Total votes: 527,178 | |||
 = 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
- Jan Garbett (R)
Lieutenant governor
Republican primary
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Deidre Henderson | 36.1 | 190,565 |
 | Michelle Kaufusi | 34.9 | 184,246 | |
| Victor Iverson | 21.0 | 110,835 | ||
 | Robert Bishop | 7.9 | 41,532 | |
| Total votes: 527,178 | |||
| = 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 convention
Republican convention
Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Candidate | ||
| Drew Chamberlain (R) | ||
| ✔ | | Deidre Henderson (R) |
| ✔ | Victor Iverson (R) | |
 | Dan McCay (R) | |
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| = 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. | ||||
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.[5] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Lieutenant Governor of Utah (Assumed office: 2013)
- Utah House of Representatives (2013)
- Sanpete County Commission (2008-2012)
- Mayor of Fairview
- Fairview City Council
Biography: Cox received an associate degree from Snow College, a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, and a J.D. from Washington Lee School of Law. He was a law clerk to Federal District Judge Ted Stewart. Cox then began his law career at the firm of Fabian and Clendenin. He served as vice president of CentraCom, a rural telecommunications company.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Utah in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Utah House of Representatives (2003-2018)
Biography: Hughes attended Utah Valley State College and Brigham Young University. He founded a real estate development and property management business. Hughes served on the Utah Transit Authority Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2014. He founded Red Meat Radio in 2008. Hughes served as speaker of the House from 2015 to 2018. He previously served as House majority whip.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Utah in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Governor of Utah (2005-2009)
Biography: Huntsman received a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a White House staff assistant in the Ronald Reagan Administration, U.S. ambassador to Singapore in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, a deputy United States trade representative in the George W. Bush Administration, U.S. ambassador to China in the Barack Obama Administration, and U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Donald Trump Administration. Huntsman also served as an executive for the Huntsman Corporation and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Utah in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Wright received two bachelor's degrees from the University of Utah. He founded Summit Sotheby’s International Realty in 2008. Wright served as Salt Lake County Republican Party chairman from 2009 to 2011 and as Utah Republican Party chairman from 2011 to 2013. He was a national committeeman representing Utah on the Republican National Committee from 2016 to 2020. Wright served on the Dixie State University Board of Trustees and was appointed to the Utah State Board of Regents by Gov. Gary Herbert (R) in 2017.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Utah in 2020.
Endorsements
This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
| Republican primary endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Cox | Hughes | Huntsman | Wright | ||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| Sen. Mike Lee (R)[6] | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. John Curtis (R)[7] | ✔ | |||||
| Gov. Gary Herbert (R)[8] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former Rep. Mia Love (R)[9] | ✔ | |||||
| Former 2020 gubernatorial candidate Aimee Winder Newton (R)[8] | ✔ | |||||
Timeline
2020
2019
Campaign advertisements
Spencer Cox
Supporting Cox
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Greg Hughes
Supporting Hughes
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Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Supporting Huntsman
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Thomas Wright
Supporting Wright
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Utah gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020: Republican primary polls | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date |  Burningham
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Christensen
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Cox
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Garbett
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Hughes
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Huntsman
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Winder Newton
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Wright
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Other | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| Y2 Analytics | June 9-17, 2020 | -- | -- | 34% | -- | 26% | 30% | -- | 10% | -- | 3.9% | 640 | UtahPolicy.com/KUTV 2News |
| Dan Jones & Associates | June 1-10, 2020 | -- | -- | 31% | -- | 10% | 35% | -- | 5% | 18% | 3.8% | 676 | Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce |
| Suffolk University | June 4-7, 2020 | -- | -- | 32% | -- | 14% | 30% | -- | 8% | 17% | 4.4% | 500 | The Salt Lake Tribune |
| Y2 Analytics | May 9-15, 2020 | -- | -- | 39% | -- | 23% | 32% | -- | 6% | -- | 4.5% | 1,099 | UtahPolicy.com/KUTV 2News |
| Y2 Analytics | March 21-30, 2020 | 5% | 0% | 40% | 0% | 16% | 33% | 4% | 1% | -- | 3.9% | 641 | KUTV 2News/Utah Policy.com |
| Click [show] to see older poll results | |||||||||||||
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| Poll | Date | Burningham
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Christensen
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Cox
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Garbett
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Hughes
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Huntsman
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Winder Newton
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Wright
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Other | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| Scott Rasmussen | March 23-28, 2020 | 7% | -- | 24% | 1% | 7% | 26% | 2% | 2% | 32% | 5.4% | 326 | Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics |
| Dan Jones & Associates | Feb. 28 - March 11, 2020 | 7% | -- | 23% | 2% | 7% | 34% | 3% | 3% | 20% | 3.5% | 798 | Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce |
| Scott Rasmussen | Feb. 24-March 1, 2020 | 7% | -- | 20% | 1% | 7% | 32% | 2% | 1% | 30% | 5.5% | 312 | Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics |
| Scott Rasmussen | Jan. 15-22, 2020 | 6% | -- | 25% | -- | 3% | 35% | 3% | 3% | 25% | 4.8% | 424 | Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics |
| Suffolk University | Jan. 18-22, 2020 | 1% | -- | 18% | -- | 7% | 26% | 1% | 1% | 48% | 6.3% | 246 | The Salt Lake Tribune |
| Y2 Analytics | Nov. 19-Dec. 7, 2019 | 5% | -- | 41% | -- | 5% | 29% | 6% | 1% | 14% | 4.6% | 911 | UtahPolicy.com |
Debates and forums
June 16 debate
On June 16, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a debate hosted by KUTV2.
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Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:
June 11 candidate forum
On June 11, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a candidate forum hosted by KSL Newsradio.
Click here for the official recording of the forum. Click the link below for a roundup of the forum from:
June 8 debate
On June 8, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a debate hosted by V6 Media.
Click here for the official recording of the debate. Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:
June 6 debate
On June 6, 2020, Cox, Hughes, and Wright participated in a debate hosted by The County Seat.
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June 1 debate
On June 1, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a debate hosted by PBS Utah.
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Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:
May 7 debate (Salt Lake)
On May 7, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a debate hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.
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Click here for a roundup of the debate from the Deseret News.
May 7 debate (WCRW)
On May 7, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a virtual debate hosted by the Washington County Republican Women.
- Click here for a recording of the debate. Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:
- St. George Spectrum and Daily News
- The Salt Lake Tribune
April 29 candidate forum
On April 29, 2020, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, and Wright participated in a virtual candidate forum hosted by Envision Utah. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Peterson also attended.
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Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:
January 31 debate
On January 31, 2020, Burningham, Cox, Hughes, Huntsman, Winder Newton, and Wright participated in a debate at the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit.
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Click the links below for roundups of the debate from:
See also
| Utah | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Utah Governor Primary Election Results," July 3, 2020
- ↑ https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/6/11/21287946/candidates-for-governor-say-utah-poised-to-take-larger-role-in-global-economy-post-pandemic Deseret News, "Candidates for governor say Utah poised to take larger role in global economy post-pandemic," June 11, 2020]
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah’s Republican candidates for governor outline their plans to jump-start the economy," June 17, 2020
- ↑ Utah Republican Party, "Convention Results," accessed June 25, 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.
- ↑ The Deseret News, "Sen. Mike Lee endorses former Utah Gov. Huntsman Jr. in GOP gubernatorial race," April 10, 2020
- ↑ Daily Herald, "Utah Rep. John Curtis endorses Lt. Gov. Cox in governor’s race," June 29, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Spencer Cox 2020 campaign website, "Gov. Gary Herbert Endorses Spencer Cox for Governor," May 21, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Mia Love on April 17, 2020," accessed May 27, 2020
- ↑ UtahPolicy.com, "Poll: Cox leads tight three-way race ahead of June primary election," June 22, 2020
- ↑ Youtube, "KUTV - GOP Gubernatorial Debate - June 16, 2020," June 17, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Forum: Hosted by World Trade Center Utah & KSL Newsradio," June 11, 2020
- ↑ Issuu, "Utah Outlook 2020 - Quarter 2," June 14, 2020
- ↑ Channel V6, "Rural Utah's First Gubernatorial Debate," June 9, 2020
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Spencer Cox, Jon Huntsman locked in tight battle as Utah’s Republican primary election nears, new Tribune poll finds," June 10, 2020
- ↑ Youtube, "UAC Rural Caucus Gubernatorial Debate with Spencer Cox, Greg Hughes, and Thomas Wright June 10, 2020," June 14, 2020
- ↑ Youtube, "Utah Governor Republican Primary Debate," June 1, 2020
- ↑ St. George Spectrum and Daily News, "COVID-19, Trump, and the Lake Powell Pipeline: GOP governor debate in Washington County," May 7, 2020
- ↑ Deseret News, "One GOP candidate for governor proposes suspending sales tax on food to boost economic recovery from pandemic," May 7, 2020
- ↑ Deseret News, "Utah candidates for governor talk state’s future at forum," April 29, 2020
- ↑ KUTV, "Poll: Race for GOP governor's nomination a 3-person race with Cox, Huntsman, Hughes," April 10, 2020
- ↑ Deseret News, "Poll: Huntsman, Cox still lead Utah’s governor race, but 1/3 are undecided," April 1, 2020
- ↑ Salt Lake Chamber, "Utah Outlook 2020 - Quarter 1 Poll Released," March 21, 2020
- ↑ Deseret News, "Jon Huntsman, Spencer Cox leading GOP field in Utah governor’s race," March 6, 2020
- ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "Trump Is Topic of Discussion at Debate Among Utah Candidates," January 31, 2020
- ↑ Deseret News, "Poll: Huntsman, Cox lead GOP field going into first gubernatorial debate," January 30, 2020
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "New poll: Jon Huntsman leads pack of GOP gubernatorial candidates among likely primary voters," January 24, 2020
- ↑ UtahPolicy.com, "Poll: Cox leads Huntsman 41-29% among Republican voters," December 13, 2019
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