List of Governors of Utah
Encyclopedia
The Governor of Utah is the head of the executive branch of Utah
's government and the commander-in-chief of its military forces
. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws as well as the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Utah Legislature. The governor may also convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".
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 17 governors of the State of Utah, with the longest serving being Calvin L. Rampton
, who served three terms from 1965 to 1977. Olene S. 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.
The current governor is Gary Herbert, who took office on August 11, 2009, upon the resignation of Jon Huntsman, Jr.
, to become United States Ambassador to China
. Governor Herbert was elected to fill the remainder of Huntsman's term in November 2010, and his current term will expire on January 7, 2013.
There is an official seal of the Governor of Utah. Borrowing most of the same symbolism from the State Seal, the Governor's seal includes roman numerals at the bottom, which represent the Governor himself, and this changes with every new Governor. Each Governor therefore has a seal unique to themselves and their administration. The roman numerals are currently "XVII", representing Gary Herbert, who is the 17th governor of Utah since Statehood.
obtained by the United States on May 19, 1848, in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
following the Mexican-American War.
. 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. The state, having never been recognized by the federal government, was formally dissolved on April 5, 1851, several months after word of the creation of Utah Territory reached Salt Lake City.
, Utah Territory
was organized, encompassing roughly the northern half of Deseret. The news did not reach Salt Lake City until January 1851.
The territory initially consisted of present-day Utah, most of Nevada
, and portions of Colorado
and Wyoming
. On February 28, 1861, the creation of Colorado Territory
took land from the eastern side of Utah Territory. Nevada Territory
was organized from the western section of Utah Territory on March 2, 1861. Also on that date, Nebraska Territory
gained area from the northeastern part of Utah Territory. Nevada Territory gained area from Utah Territory on July 14, 1862, and again on May 5, 1866, after becoming a state. Wyoming Territory
was created on July 25, 1868, from Nebraska Territory, taking more area from the northeast corner, giving Utah Territory its final borders.
The governor has a four-year term, commencing on the first Monday of the January after an election. The Constitution of Utah originally stated that, should the office of governor be vacant, the power be devolved upon the Secretary of State
, but the office of Lieutenant Governor
was created in 1976, and a 1980 constitutional amendment added it to the constitution. 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. The offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket
. 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.
As this timeline makes clear, recent governors (Walker and Huntsman) have remained in office for shorter periods of time than their predecessors.
(1965–1977), who died on September 16, 2007.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
's government and the commander-in-chief of its military forces
Utah National Guard
The Utah National Guard consists of the:* Utah Army National Guard**19th Special Forces Group **85th WMD CST**97th Troop Command**115th Engineer Group **211th Aviation Group**300th MI Brigade **640th Regiment...
. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws as well as the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Utah Legislature. The governor may also convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".
The self-proclaimed State of Deseret
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
, precursor to the organization of the Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
, had only one governor, Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
. Utah Territory had 15 territorial
Organized incorporated territories of the United States
Organized incorporated territories are those territories of the United States that are both incorporated and organized .Through most of U.S...
governors from its organization in 1850 until the formation of the state of Utah in 1896, appointed by the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. John W. Dawson
John W. Dawson
John W. Dawson was Governor of Utah Territory in 1861.Born on October 21, 1820, in Cambridge, Indiana he was a lawyer, a farmer and a newspaper editor before he entered politics, unsuccessfully running for a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives in 1854, Secretary of State of Indiana in...
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 17 governors of the State of Utah, with the longest serving being Calvin L. Rampton
Calvin L. Rampton
Calvin Lewellyn Rampton was the 11th Governor of the state of Utah from 1965 to 1977.Following his graduation from Davis High School in 1931, he took over his family's automobile business, due to his father's death that same year. He sold the business in 1933 and entered the University of Utah,...
, who served three terms from 1965 to 1977. Olene S. Walker
Olene S. Walker
Olene Smith Walker was Utah's 15th Governor. She was sworn into office on November 5, 2003, shortly before her 73rd birthday, as Utah's first, and, to date, only female governor. She is a member of the Republican Party....
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
Heber Manning Wells
Heber Manning Wells was an American politician and the first Governor of the State of Utah. Utah gained statehood January 4, 1896; Wells served as governor from January 6, 1896 until January 2, 1905.-Biography:...
was the youngest person to become governor. At the age of 70, Simon Bamberger
Simon Bamberger
Simon Bamberger was the fourth Governor of Utah after it achieved statehood from territorial status in 1896. Bamberger bears the distinction of being the first non-Mormon, the first Democrat, and the first and to date only Jew to be elected Governor of the State of Utah...
became the oldest person to be elected, while Olene Walker, at age 72, was the oldest person to succeed to the office.
The current governor is Gary Herbert, who took office on August 11, 2009, upon the resignation of Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for...
, to become United States Ambassador to China
United States Ambassador to China
The United States Ambassador to China is the chief American diplomat to People's Republic of China . The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as Commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia. Commissioners represented the United States in...
. Governor Herbert was elected to fill the remainder of Huntsman's term in November 2010, and his current term will expire on January 7, 2013.
There is an official seal of the Governor of Utah. Borrowing most of the same symbolism from the State Seal, the Governor's seal includes roman numerals at the bottom, which represent the Governor himself, and this changes with every new Governor. Each Governor therefore has a seal unique to themselves and their administration. The roman numerals are currently "XVII", representing Gary Herbert, who is the 17th governor of Utah since Statehood.
Governors
The area that became Utah was part of the Mexican CessionMexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
obtained by the United States on May 19, 1848, in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
following the Mexican-American War.
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 DeseretState of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
. Deseret claimed most of present-day Utah, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, with parts of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
was elected governor on March 12, 1849, and the legislature first met on July 2, 1849. The state, having never been recognized by the federal government, was formally dissolved on April 5, 1851, several months after word of the creation of Utah Territory reached Salt Lake City.
Governors of the Territory of Utah
On September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five bills, passed in September 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War...
, Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
was organized, encompassing roughly the northern half of Deseret. The news did not reach Salt Lake City until January 1851.
The territory initially consisted of present-day Utah, most of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and portions of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. On February 28, 1861, the creation of Colorado Territory
Colorado Territory
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado....
took land from the eastern side of Utah Territory. Nevada Territory
Nevada Territory
The Territory of Nevada was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada....
was organized from the western section of Utah Territory on March 2, 1861. Also on that date, Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
gained area from the northeastern part of Utah Territory. Nevada Territory gained area from Utah Territory on July 14, 1862, and again on May 5, 1866, after becoming a state. Wyoming Territory
Wyoming Territory
The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital...
was created on July 25, 1868, from Nebraska Territory, taking more area from the northeast corner, giving Utah Territory its final borders.
| Picture | Governor | Left office | Appointed by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young Brigham Young Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah... |
February 3, 1851 | April 12, 1858 | Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president... |
||
| Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army... |
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| Alfred Cumming Alfred Cumming (governor) Alfred Cumming was appointed governor of the Utah territory in 1858 replacing Brigham Young following the Utah War... |
April 12, 1858 | May 17, 1861 | James Buchanan James Buchanan James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century.... |
||
| John W. Dawson John W. Dawson John W. Dawson was Governor of Utah Territory in 1861.Born on October 21, 1820, in Cambridge, Indiana he was a lawyer, a farmer and a newspaper editor before he entered politics, unsuccessfully running for a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives in 1854, Secretary of State of Indiana in... |
December 7, 1861 | December 31, 1861 | Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
||
| Stephen S. Harding | July 7, 1862 | June 11, 1863 | Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
||
| James Duane Doty James Duane Doty James Duane Doty was a land speculator and politician in the United States who played a large role in the development of Wisconsin and Utah Territory.-Legal career:... |
June 22, 1863 | June 13, 1865 | Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
||
| Charles Durkee Charles Durkee Charles Durkee was an American politician and a Congressman and Senator from Wisconsin.-Early life:Durkee was born in Royalton, Vermont. He became a merchant and moved to Wisconsin in 1836... |
September 30, 1865 | January 9, 1869 | Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American... |
||
| John Shaffer John Shaffer John Wilson Shaffer was an American political leader. Born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Shaffer was active in Republican poliitics in Illinois and served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was appointed governor of the territory of Utah by President Ulysses S. Grant... |
March 20, 1870 | October 31, 1870 | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
||
| Vernon H. Vaughan Vernon H. Vaughan Vernon H. Vaughan was an American political leader. Born in Mount Meigs, Alabama, he served as Utah territorial secretary to Governor John Shaffer, and after Shaffer's untimely death in office, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Vaughan to fill the vacancy as acting governor... |
October 31, 1870 | February 1, 1871 | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
||
| George Lemuel Woods George Lemuel Woods George Lemuel Woods was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Woods served as the third Governor of Oregon from 1866–1870 and was then appointed Utah Territory Governor by President Ulysses S. Grant, serving from 1871–1875.-Early life:George Woods was born... |
March 10, 1871 | October 13, 1874 | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
||
| Samuel Beach Axtell Samuel Beach Axtell Samuel Beach Axtell . Notable for being the most controversial Chief Justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court; corrupted administration as Governor of New Mexico; brief tenure as Governor of Utah; and two term Congressman from California.-Early life:Axtell was born in Franklin County,... |
February 2, 1875 | June 8, 1875 | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
||
| George W. Emery George W. Emery George W. Emery was the eleventh governor of Utah Territory. Emery was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant for Supervisor of Internal Revenue for the confederate states from 1870 to 1874 and governor in 1875. After his term ended in 1880, the Utah Legislature named Emery County, Utah in... |
July 3, 1875 | January 25, 1880 | Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America... |
||
| Eli Houston Murray Eli Houston Murray Eli Houston Murray was Governor of Utah Territory between 1880 and 1886.He had been brevetted to the rank of brigadier general in the American Civil War, and was appointed Governor in 1880.... |
February 28, 1880 | March 16, 1886 | Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution... |
||
| Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing... |
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| Caleb Walton West Caleb Walton West Caleb Walton West was Governor of Utah Territory twice, 1886–1888 and 1893-1896.Born in Cynthiana, Kentucky in Harrison County, Kentucky, he was a Confederate veteran and a municipal judge in Kentucky. He was the last Governor of Utah before statehood.-References:... |
May 12, 1886 | May 6, 1889 | Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents... |
||
| Arthur Lloyd Thomas Arthur Lloyd Thomas Arthur Lloyd Thomas was Governor of Utah Territory from 1889-93. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Thomas grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Thomas was appointed secretary of Utah Territory and then Governor of Utah Territory.... |
May 6, 1889 | May 9, 1893 | Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there... |
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| Caleb Walton West Caleb Walton West Caleb Walton West was Governor of Utah Territory twice, 1886–1888 and 1893-1896.Born in Cynthiana, Kentucky in Harrison County, Kentucky, he was a Confederate veteran and a municipal judge in Kentucky. He was the last Governor of Utah before statehood.-References:... |
May 9, 1893 | January 4, 1896 | Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents... |
Governors of the 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. The Constitution of Utah originally stated that, should the office of governor be vacant, the power be devolved upon the Secretary of State
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
, but the office of Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Utah
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Utah was created in 1975. There have only been seven Lieutenant Governors in Utah's history. Prior to the creation of the Lieutenant Governor's office, the succession to the Governorship of Utah was held by the Utah Secretary of State...
was created in 1976, and a 1980 constitutional amendment added it to the constitution. 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. The offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
. 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.
| # | Picture | Governor | Took office | Left office | Party | Lt. Governor Lieutenant Governor of Utah The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Utah was created in 1975. There have only been seven Lieutenant Governors in Utah's history. Prior to the creation of the Lieutenant Governor's office, the succession to the Governorship of Utah was held by the Utah Secretary of State... |
Terms The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like. |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Heber Manning Wells Heber Manning Wells Heber Manning Wells was an American politician and the first Governor of the State of Utah. Utah gained statehood January 4, 1896; Wells served as governor from January 6, 1896 until January 2, 1905.-Biography:... |
January 6, 1896 | January 2, 1905 | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
None | 2 | ||
| 2 |  |
John Christopher Cutler John Christopher Cutler John Christopher Cutler was an American politician and the second Governor of Utah. He served as governor from 1905 to 1909. He was a Republican.-Biography:... |
January 2, 1905 | January 4, 1909 | Republican | 1 | |||
| 3 | William Spry William Spry William Spry was an American politician and the third Governor of Utah.Spry was born at Windsor, Berkshire, England. He emigrated to Utah Territory with his parents at the age of eleven.... |
January 4, 1909 | January 1, 1917 | Republican | 2 | ||||
| 4 | Simon Bamberger Simon Bamberger Simon Bamberger was the fourth Governor of Utah after it achieved statehood from territorial status in 1896. Bamberger bears the distinction of being the first non-Mormon, the first Democrat, and the first and to date only Jew to be elected Governor of the State of Utah... |
January 1, 1917 | January 3, 1921 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
1 | ||||
| 5 | Charles R. Mabey Charles R. Mabey Charles Rendell Mabey was an American politician and the fifth Governor of Utah. He served as governor from 1921 to 1925. He was a Republican.Mabey was born in Bountiful, Utah... |
January 3, 1921 | January 5, 1925 | Republican | 1 | ||||
| 6 | George Dern George Dern George Henry Dern was an American politician, mining man, and businessman. He is probably best remembered for co-inventing the Holt–Dern ore roasting process, as well as for his tenure as United States Secretary of War from 1933 to his death in 1936. He also served as the sixth Governor of Utah... |
January 5, 1925 | January 2, 1933 | Democratic | 2 | ||||
| 7 | |
Henry H. Blood Henry H. Blood Henry Hooper Blood was a prominent businessman and the seventh Governor of the state of Utah.-Biography:Henry was born to William Hooper Blood, a farmer and city councilman, and Jane Wilkie Hooper. He went to local schools and attended Brigham Young Academy at Provo City, Utah, which later turned... |
January 2, 1933 | January 6, 1941 | Democratic | 2 | |||
| 8 | |
Herbert B. Maw Herbert B. Maw Herbert Brown Maw was an American politician and the eighth Governor of Utah. He served as governor from 1941 to 1949. He was a Democrat.He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-Early life:... |
January 6, 1941 | January 3, 1949 | Democratic | 2 | |||
| 9 | |
J. Bracken Lee J. Bracken Lee Joseph Bracken Lee was a political figure in the state of Utah, United States. A Republican, he served two terms as the ninth Governor of Utah , six two-year terms as mayor of Price, Utah , and three terms as the 27th mayor of Salt Lake City ., Lee is the most recent Governor of Utah who was not a... |
January 3, 1949 | January 7, 1957 | Republican | 2 | |||
| 10 | |
George Dewey Clyde George Dewey Clyde George Dewey Clyde was an American politician and the tenth Governor of Utah, serving two terms from 1957 till 1965 as a Republican.... |
January 7, 1957 | January 4, 1965 | Republican | 2 | |||
| 11 | |
Calvin L. Rampton Calvin L. Rampton Calvin Lewellyn Rampton was the 11th Governor of the state of Utah from 1965 to 1977.Following his graduation from Davis High School in 1931, he took over his family's automobile business, due to his father's death that same year. He sold the business in 1933 and entered the University of Utah,... |
January 4, 1965 | January 3, 1977 | Democratic | None | 3 | ||
| Clyde L. Miller Clyde L. Miller Clyde L. Miller was a Democratic politician who was the first Lieutenant Governor of Utah.Miller was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He began his involvement with politics at age 18, when he distributed materials in support of Democrat Al Smith's 1928 presidential... |
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| 12 |  |
Scott M. Matheson Scott M. Matheson -External links:* from... |
January 3, 1977 | January 7, 1985 | Democratic | David Smith Monson David Smith Monson David Smith Monson is a former U.S. Representative and the second Lieutenant Governor from Utah.Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monson attended public schools.B.S., University of Utah, 1970.... Represented the Republican Party |
2 | ||
| 13 | |
Norman H. Bangerter Norman H. Bangerter Norman Howard Bangerter was the 13th Governor of Utah from 1985 to 1993. He was the first Republican elected to the position since 1965.- Biography :... |
January 7, 1985 | January 4, 1993 | Republican | W. Val Oveson W. Val Oveson Wilford Val Oveson is an American Republican Party politician in the state of Utah. Oveson has held several state offices in Utah, most notably the third Lieutenant Governor of Utah, and the federal office of National Taxpayer Advocate for the Internal Revenue Service... |
2 | ||
| 14 |  |
Mike Leavitt | January 4, 1993 | November 5, 2003 | Republican | Olene S. Walker Olene S. Walker Olene Smith Walker was Utah's 15th Governor. She was sworn into office on November 5, 2003, shortly before her 73rd birthday, as Utah's first, and, to date, only female governor. She is a member of the Republican Party.... |
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| 15 |  |
Olene S. Walker Olene S. Walker Olene Smith Walker was Utah's 15th Governor. She was sworn into office on November 5, 2003, shortly before her 73rd birthday, as Utah's first, and, to date, only female governor. She is a member of the Republican Party.... |
November 5, 2003 | January 3, 2005 | Republican | Gayle McKeachnie Gayle McKeachnie Gayle F. McKeachnie is a Utah Republican politician and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Utah.-Education:Gayle McKeachnie received his B.A. from the College of Southern Utah and his J.D. from the University of Utah. For a time, Lieutenant Governor McKeachnie was an adjunct professor at Brigham... |
As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term |
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| 16 | Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for... |
January 3, 2005 | August 11, 2009 | Republican | Gary Herbert | ||||
| 17 | Gary Herbert | August 11, 2009 | Incumbent | Republican | Greg Bell Greg Bell (politician) Gregory S Bell is an American politician, land-use attorney, and the seventh and current Lieutenant Governor of the US state of Utah. A Republican, he was a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state's 22nd senate district in Davis County... |
+ Governor Herbert's second interim term expires Utah gubernatorial election, 2012 The 2012 Utah gubernatorial election will be held on November 6, 2012 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Utah. Republican incumbent Gary Herbert and his lieutenant governor, Greg Bell, will be eligible to seek re-election.-Candidates:... on January 7, 2013; he is not term limit Term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for... ed. As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term until winning a special election to fill the remainder of the term. |
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As this timeline makes clear, recent governors (Walker and Huntsman) have remained in office for shorter periods of time than their predecessors.
Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors.| Governor | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Duane Doty James Duane Doty James Duane Doty was a land speculator and politician in the United States who played a large role in the development of Wisconsin and Utah Territory.-Legal career:... |
1863–1865 | Delegate from Wisconsin Territory Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin... , U.S. Representative from Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... , Governor of Wisconsin Territory Governor of Wisconsin The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state... |
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| Charles Durkee Charles Durkee Charles Durkee was an American politician and a Congressman and Senator from Wisconsin.-Early life:Durkee was born in Royalton, Vermont. He became a merchant and moved to Wisconsin in 1836... |
1865–1869 | U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Wisconsin | |
| George Lemuel Woods George Lemuel Woods George Lemuel Woods was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Woods served as the third Governor of Oregon from 1866–1870 and was then appointed Utah Territory Governor by President Ulysses S. Grant, serving from 1871–1875.-Early life:George Woods was born... |
1871–1875 | Governor of Oregon Governor of Oregon The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments.... |
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| Samuel Beach Axtell Samuel Beach Axtell Samuel Beach Axtell . Notable for being the most controversial Chief Justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court; corrupted administration as Governor of New Mexico; brief tenure as Governor of Utah; and two term Congressman from California.-Early life:Axtell was born in Franklin County,... |
1875 | U.S. Representative from California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , Governor of New Mexico Territory* |
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| George Dern George Dern George Henry Dern was an American politician, mining man, and businessman. He is probably best remembered for co-inventing the Holt–Dern ore roasting process, as well as for his tenure as United States Secretary of War from 1933 to his death in 1936. He also served as the sixth Governor of Utah... |
1925–1933 | U.S. Secretary of War United States Secretary of War The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation... |
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| Mike Leavitt | 1993–2003 | Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States federal government's Environmental Protection Agency, and is thus responsible for enforcing the nation's Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, as well as numerous other environmental statutes. The Administrator is... *, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services United States Secretary of Health and Human Services The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet... |
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| Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for... |
2005–2009 | Ambassador to Singapore, Ambassador to China United States Ambassador to China The United States Ambassador to China is the chief American diplomat to People's Republic of China . The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as Commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia. Commissioners represented the United States in... * |
Living former governors
, four former governors are alive. The most recent governor to die was Calvin RamptonCalvin L. Rampton
Calvin Lewellyn Rampton was the 11th Governor of the state of Utah from 1965 to 1977.Following his graduation from Davis High School in 1931, he took over his family's automobile business, due to his father's death that same year. He sold the business in 1933 and entered the University of Utah,...
(1965–1977), who died on September 16, 2007.
| Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Norman H. Bangerter Norman H. Bangerter Norman Howard Bangerter was the 13th Governor of Utah from 1985 to 1993. He was the first Republican elected to the position since 1965.- Biography :... |
1985–1993 | January 04, 1933 (age 79) |
| Mike Leavitt | 1993–2003 | February 11, 1951 (age 60) |
| Olene S. Walker Olene S. Walker Olene Smith Walker was Utah's 15th Governor. She was sworn into office on November 5, 2003, shortly before her 73rd birthday, as Utah's first, and, to date, only female governor. She is a member of the Republican Party.... |
2003–2005 | November 15, 1930 (age 81) |
| Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Huntsman, Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for... |
2005–2009 | March 26, 1960 (age 51) |