List of governors of Utah

The governor of Utah is the head of government of Utah<ref name="utc-7-5">UT Const. art. VII, § 5</ref> and the commander-in-chief of its military forces.<ref>UT Const. art. VII, § 4</ref> The governor has a duty to enforce state laws<ref name="utc-7-5" /> as well as the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Utah Legislature.<ref>UT Const. art. VII, § 8</ref> The governor may also convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".<ref>UT Const. art. VII, § 6</ref>

The self-proclaimed State of Deseret, precursor to the organization of the Utah Territory, had only one governor, Brigham Young. Utah Territory had 15 territorial governors from its organization in 1850 until the formation of the state of Utah in 1896, appointed by the President of the United States. John W. Dawson had the shortest term of only three weeks and Brigham Young, the first territorial governor, had the longest term at seven years.

There have been 18 governors of the State of Utah, with the longest serving being Cal Rampton, who served three terms from 1965 to 1977. Olene Walker served the shortest term, the remaining 14 months of Mike Leavitt's term upon Leavitt's resignation to become head of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the age of 36, Heber Manning Wells was the youngest person to become governor. At the age of 70, Simon Bamberger became the oldest person to be elected, while Olene Walker, at age 72, was the oldest person to succeed to the office.

J. Bracken Lee was the most recent of three Governors of Utah who was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the other two being Simon Bamberger (1917–1921) and George Dern (1925–1933).<ref name="Obituary">Template:Cite news</ref>

Currently, a term of service is set at four years, and there are no overall limits (consecutive or lifetime) to the number of terms one may be elected to serve. Elections for the office of Governor of Utah are normally held in November of the same year as the United States presidential election.

The current governor is Spencer Cox, who took office on January 4, 2021. Governor Cox was elected in November 2020.

Qualifications

Anyone who seeks to be elected Governor of Utah must meet the following qualifications:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Be at least 30 years old
• Be a resident of Utah for at least five years on the day of the election
• Be a United States citizen
• Be a qualified elector of Utah at the time of election

List of governors

The area that became Utah was part of the Mexican Cession obtained by the United States on May 19, 1848, in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo following the Mexican–American War.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

State of Deseret

A constitutional convention was convened in Salt Lake City on March 8, 1849, to work on a proposal for federal recognition of a state or territory. The convention resulted in the provisional State of Deseret. Deseret claimed most of present-day Utah, Nevada and Arizona, with parts of California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wyoming. Brigham Young was elected governor on March 12, 1849, and the legislature first met on July 2, 1849.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The state, having never been recognized by the federal government, was formally dissolved on April 5, 1851,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> several months after word of the creation of Utah Territory reached Salt Lake City.

Territory of Utah

On September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, Utah Territory was organized, encompassing roughly the northern half of Deseret.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The news did not reach Salt Lake City until January 1851.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Governors of the Utah Territory were appointed by the president of the United States, and other than Brigham Young, they were frequently considered carpetbagger patronage appointees.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Governors of the Territory of Utah

Template:Abbr	Governor		Term in officeTemplate:Efn	Appointing President
1	File:BYoung.jpg	Brigham Young Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – July 11, 1857 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
2	File:Alfred Cumming.jpg	Alfred Cumming Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – May 17, 1861 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
3	File:John W Dawson.jpg	John W. Dawson Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – December 31, 1861 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
4	File:Stephen Selwyn Harding.jpg	Stephen S. Harding Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – June 2, 1863 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
5	File:James Duane Doty.jpg	James Duane Doty Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – June 13, 1865 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
6	File:Charles Durkee portrait.jpg	Charles Durkee Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – January 17, 1870 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
7	File:John Wilson Shaffer.jpg	John Shaffer Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – October 31, 1870 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
8	File:Vernon H Vaughan.jpg	Vernon H. Vaughan Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – February 2, 1871 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
9	File:George Lemuel Woods portrait.jpg	George Lemuel Woods Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – February 2, 1875 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
10	File:Samuel Beach Axtell.jpg	Samuel Beach Axtell Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – July 1, 1875 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
11	File:George W Emery.jpg	George W. Emery Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – January 27, 1880 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
12	File:Eli Houston Murray.jpg	Eli Houston Murray Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – March 16, 1886 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname
				Template:Sortname
13	File:Caleb Walton West.jpg	Caleb Walton West Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – May 6, 1889 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
14	File:Arthur Lloyd Thomas.jpg	Arthur Lloyd Thomas Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – May 9, 1893 Template:Small	Template:Sortname
15	File:Caleb Walton West.jpg	Caleb Walton West Template:Small Template:Sfn	Template:DtsTemplate:Efn – January 4, 1896 Template:Small	Template:Sortname

State of Utah

The State of Utah was admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896.

The governor has a four-year term, commencing on the first Monday of the January after an election.<ref>UT Const. art. VII, § 1</ref> The Constitution of Utah originally stated that, should the office of governor be vacant, the power be devolved upon the Secretary of State,<ref>UT Const. original art. VII, §11</ref> but the office of Lieutenant Governor was created in 1976, and a 1980 constitutional amendment added it to the constitution.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> If the office of governor becomes vacant during the first year of the term, the lieutenant governor becomes governor until the next general election; if it becomes vacant after the first year of the term, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term.<ref>UT Const. art. VII, § 11</ref> The offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket.<ref>UT Const. art. VII, § 2</ref> The Governor of Utah was formerly limited to serving three terms, but all term limit laws were repealed by the Utah Legislature in 2003; Utah is one of the few states where gubernatorial term limits are not determined by the constitution.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Governors of the State of Utah

Template:Abbr	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. GovernorTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn
1	File:Heber Wells (Utah Governor).jpg	rowspan="5" style="background: Template:Party color;"|	Heber Manning Wells Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-wells">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1905 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1895	Office did not exist
		1900
2	File:John Christopher Cutler.jpg	John Christopher Cutler Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-cutler">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1909 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1904
3	File:William Spry.jpg	William Spry Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-spry">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 1, 1917 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1908
			1912
4	File:Simon Bamberger.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Simon Bamberger Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-bamberger">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1921 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1916
5	File:CharlesRMabey.jpg	style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Charles R. Mabey Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-mabey">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 5, 1925 Template:Small	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1920
6	File:DERN, GEORGE H., GOVERNOR LCCN2016860082 Crop.jpg	rowspan="6" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	George Dern Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-dern">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 2, 1933 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1924
		1928
7	File:Henry H. Blood.jpg	Henry H. Blood Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-blood">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 6, 1941 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1932
			1936
8	File:Herbert B. Maw (UT).png	Herbert B. Maw Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-maw">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1949 Template:Small	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1940
			1944
9	File:J. Bracken Lee.jpg	rowspan="4" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	J. Bracken Lee Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-lee">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1957 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1948
		1952
10	File:George Dewey Clyde.jpg	George Dewey Clyde Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-clyde">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1965 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	RepublicanTemplate:Sfn	1956
			1960
11	File:Calvin L. Rampton.jpg	rowspan="5" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Cal Rampton Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-rampton">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 1977 Template:SmallTemplate:Sfn	DemocraticTemplate:Sfn	1964
		1968
		1972		style="background: Template:Party color;"|			Template:Sortname
12	File:Scott Matheson speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the USS Salt Lake City, May 12, 1984 (cropped).JPEG	Scott M. Matheson Template:Small Template:Sfn<ref name="nga-matheson">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 7, 1985 Template:Small	Democratic<ref name="nga-matheson" />	1976	rowspan="10" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Template:SortnameTemplate:Efn
			1980
13	File:Norman Bangerter (Utah governor).png	rowspan="16" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|	Norman H. Bangerter Template:Small <ref name="nga-bangerter">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 1993 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="nga-bangerter" />	1984	Template:Sortname
		1988
14	File:Mike Leavitt.jpg	Mike Leavitt Template:Small <ref name="nga-leavitt">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – November 5, 2003 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Republican<ref name="nga-leavitt" />	1992	Template:Sortname
			1996
			2000
15	File:Olene Walker.JPG	Olene Walker Template:Small <ref name="nga-walker">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 3, 2005 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="nga-walker" />	Template:Small	Template:Sortname
16	File:Ambassador Jon Huntsman (cropped).jpg	Jon Huntsman Jr. Template:Small <ref name="nga-huntsman">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – August 11, 2009 Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	Republican<ref name="nga-huntsman" />	2004	Template:Sortname
			2008
17	File:2013-05-23 Gary R Herbert.JPG	Gary Herbert Template:Small <ref name="nga-herbert">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – January 4, 2021 Template:Small	Republican<ref name="nga-herbert" />	Template:Small	Vacant
			rowspan="7" style="color:inherit;background: Template:Party color;"|				Template:Sortname Template:Small
			2010 Template:Small
			2012
						Template:Sortname Template:Small
			2016
18	File:DCM Reception for the Governor of Utah. September 12, 2022 47 (crop) (cropped).jpg	Spencer Cox Template:Small <ref name="nga-cox">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> – IncumbentTemplate:Efn	Republican<ref name="nga-cox" />	2020	Template:Sortname
			2024

See also

• List of Utah state legislatures
• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Utah

References

General

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Specific

External links

• Office of the Governor of Utah