November 8, 2016 2020 → 66.7% 28.7% Location Utah, United States | 750,850 323,349 Date 8 November 2016 | |
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Winner Gary Herbert | ||
The 2016 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Contents
Incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert is running for re-election to a third term in office. Republican challenger Jonathan E. Johnson defeated Herbert in the state convention to secure a spot on the primary ballot, but Herbert won the June 28, 2016 primary and secured the nomination.
The Democrats nominated former CHG Healthcare Services CEO Mike Weinholtz at the Utah Democratic convention in April.
Background
Republican Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. resigned in August 2009 to become United States Ambassador to China and Lieutenant Governor Herbert succeeded him. He was elected to serve out the remainder of Huntsman's term in a 2010 special election and was re-elected to a full four-year term in 2012.
Republican nomination
Former Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives Rebecca D. Lockhart was widely believed to be a potential Republican candidate, but she died of a rare neurodegenerative brain disease in January 2015.
Incumbent governor Gary Herbert won the June 28, 2016 primary, defeating Overstock.com Chairman Jonathan Johnson.
Declared
Democratic nomination
Weinholtz defeated Cook at the Democratic convention to become the nominee.