List of governors of Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Utah |
|
|---|---|
| Style | The Honorable |
| Residence | Utah Governor's Mansion |
| Term length | Four years, renewable, no term limits |
| Inaugural holder | Heber Manning Wells |
| Formation | January 6, 1896 |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of Utah |
| Salary | $150,000 (2019) |
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The governor of Utah is like the main leader of the state of Utah. They are in charge of making sure state laws are followed. The governor also leads Utah's military forces, like the Utah National Guard. They can approve new laws or say no to them (this is called a veto). The governor can also call special meetings of the state legislature if needed.
Before Utah became a state, there was a place called the State of Deseret. It had only one leader, Brigham Young. Later, when Utah was a territory (from 1850 to 1896), it had 15 governors. These governors were chosen by the President of the United States. John W. Dawson served the shortest time (just three weeks), while Brigham Young was the first territorial governor and served the longest (seven years).
Since Utah became a state, there have been 18 governors. Cal Rampton served the longest, for three terms from 1965 to 1977. Olene Walker served the shortest time, about 14 months. She became governor when Mike Leavitt left to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Heber Manning Wells was the youngest governor at 36. Simon Bamberger was the oldest elected governor at 70, and Olene Walker was the oldest to take office at 72.
Most Utah governors have been members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, three governors were not: Simon Bamberger (1917–1921), George Dern (1925–1933), and J. Bracken Lee (1949–1957).
Today, a governor serves for four years. There is no limit to how many times a person can be elected governor. Elections for governor usually happen in November, at the same time as the United States presidential election.
The current governor is Spencer Cox. He started his term on January 4, 2021. Governor Cox was elected in November 2020.
Contents
Becoming the Governor of Utah
To become the Governor of Utah, a person must meet certain requirements:
- They must be at least 30 years old.
- They must have lived in Utah for at least five years before the election day.
- They must be a citizen of the United States.
- They must be a registered voter in Utah when they are elected.
History of Utah's Governors
The land that is now Utah became part of the United States on May 19, 1848. This happened after the Mexican–American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
The State of Deseret
In 1849, a group met in Salt Lake City to create a plan for Utah to become a state or territory. This led to the creation of the State of Deseret. This state claimed a large area, including most of present-day Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, plus parts of other states.
Brigham Young was chosen as the governor of Deseret on March 12, 1849. The leaders of Deseret met for the first time on July 2, 1849. However, the U.S. government never officially recognized the State of Deseret. It was formally ended on April 5, 1851, after news arrived that the Utah Territory had been created.
Governors of Utah Territory
On September 9, 1850, the Utah Territory was officially formed. This was part of a larger agreement called the Compromise of 1850. The Utah Territory covered roughly the northern half of the area that Deseret had claimed. News of this change reached Salt Lake City in January 1851.
The governors of the Utah Territory were chosen by the President of the United States. Except for Brigham Young, many of these governors were seen as political appointments.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Appointing President | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Brigham Young (1801–1877) |
September 28, 1850 – July 11, 1857 (successor appointed) |
Millard Fillmore |
| 2 |  |
Alfred Cumming (1802–1873) |
July 11, 1857 – May 17, 1861 (left territory) |
James Buchanan |
| 3 |  |
John W. Dawson (1820–1877) |
October 3, 1861 – December 31, 1861 (left territory) |
Abraham Lincoln |
| 4 |  |
Stephen S. Harding (1808–1891) |
March 31, 1862 – June 2, 1863 (successor appointed) |
Abraham Lincoln |
| 5 |  |
James Duane Doty (1799–1865) |
June 2, 1863 – June 13, 1865 (died in office) |
Abraham Lincoln |
| 6 |  |
Charles Durkee (1805–1870) |
July 15, 1865 – January 17, 1870 (successor appointed) |
Andrew Johnson |
| 7 |  |
John Shaffer (1827–1870) |
January 17, 1870 – October 31, 1870 (died in office) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 8 |  |
Vernon H. Vaughan (1838–1878) |
October 31, 1870 – February 2, 1871 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 9 |  |
George Lemuel Woods (1832–1890) |
February 2, 1871 – February 2, 1875 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 10 |  |
Samuel Beach Axtell (1819–1891) |
February 2, 1875 – July 1, 1875 (resigned) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 11 |  |
George W. Emery (1830–1909) |
July 1, 1875 – January 27, 1880 (successor appointed) |
Ulysses S. Grant |
| 12 |  |
Eli Houston Murray (1843–1896) |
January 27, 1880 – March 16, 1886 (resigned) |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
| Chester A. Arthur | ||||
| 13 |  |
Caleb Walton West (1844–1909) |
April 21, 1886 – May 6, 1889 (successor appointed) |
Grover Cleveland |
| 14 |  |
Arthur Lloyd Thomas (1851–1924) |
May 6, 1889 – May 9, 1893 (successor appointed) |
Benjamin Harrison |
| 15 | |
Caleb Walton West (1844–1909) |
May 9, 1893 – January 4, 1896 (statehood) |
Grover Cleveland |
Governors of the State of Utah
Utah officially became a state on January 4, 1896.
The governor serves a four-year term, starting in January after an election. If the governor's office becomes empty, the Lieutenant Governor takes over. This position was created in 1976. If the governor leaves office in the first year of their term, the lieutenant governor becomes governor until the next election. If it happens after the first year, the lieutenant governor finishes the rest of the term. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected together on the same ticket.
Utah used to have a rule that a governor could only serve three terms. However, this rule was removed in 2003. This means Utah is one of the few states where there are no limits on how many terms a governor can serve.
| No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) |
Heber Manning Wells (1859–1938) |
January 6, 1896 – January 2, 1905 (did not run) |
Republican | 1895 | Office did not exist | ||
| 1900 | ||||||||
| 2 |  |
John Christopher Cutler (1846–1928) |
January 2, 1905 – January 4, 1909 (did not run) |
Republican | 1904 | |||
| 3 |  |
William Spry (1864–1929) |
January 4, 1909 – January 1, 1917 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1908 | |||
| 1912 | ||||||||
| 4 |  |
Simon Bamberger (1845–1926) |
January 1, 1917 – January 3, 1921 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1916 | |||
| 5 |  |
Charles R. Mabey (1877–1959) |
January 3, 1921 – January 5, 1925 (lost election) |
Republican | 1920 | |||
| 6 |  |
George Dern (1872–1936) |
January 5, 1925 – January 2, 1933 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1924 | |||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 7 |  |
Henry H. Blood (1872–1942) |
January 2, 1933 – January 6, 1941 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1932 | |||
| 1936 | ||||||||
| 8 | .png) |
Herbert B. Maw (1893–1990) |
January 6, 1941 – January 3, 1949 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1940 | |||
| 1944 | ||||||||
| 9 |  |
J. Bracken Lee (1899–1996) |
January 3, 1949 – January 7, 1957 (lost election) |
Republican | 1948 | |||
| 1952 | ||||||||
| 10 |  |
George Dewey Clyde (1898–1972) |
January 7, 1957 – January 4, 1965 (did not run) |
Republican | 1956 | |||
| 1960 | ||||||||
| 11 |  |
Cal Rampton (1913–2007) |
January 4, 1965 – January 3, 1977 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1964 | |||
| 1968 | ||||||||
| 1972 | Clyde L. Miller | |||||||
| 12 | .JPEG) |
Scott M. Matheson (1929–1990) |
January 3, 1977 – January 7, 1985 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1976 | David Smith Monson | ||
| 1980 | ||||||||
| 13 | .png) |
Norman H. Bangerter (1933–2015) |
January 7, 1985 – January 4, 1993 (did not run) |
Republican | 1984 | W. Val Oveson | ||
| 1988 | ||||||||
| 14 |  |
Mike Leavitt (b. 1951) |
January 4, 1993 – November 5, 2003 (resigned) |
Republican | 1992 | Olene Walker | ||
| 1996 | ||||||||
| 2000 | ||||||||
| 15 |  |
Olene Walker (1930–2015) |
November 5, 2003 – January 3, 2005 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Gayle McKeachnie | ||
| 16 | .jpg) |
Jon Huntsman Jr. (b. 1960) |
January 3, 2005 – August 11, 2009 (resigned) |
Republican | 2004 | Gary Herbert | ||
| 2008 | ||||||||
| 17 |  |
Gary Herbert (b. 1947) |
August 11, 2009 – January 4, 2021 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
| Greg Bell (appointed September 1, 2009) (resigned October 16, 2013) |
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| 2010 (special) |
||||||||
| 2012 | ||||||||
| Spencer Cox (appointed October 16, 2013) |
||||||||
| 2016 | ||||||||
| 18 | _(cropped).jpg) |
Spencer Cox (b. 1975) |
January 4, 2021 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2020 | Deidre Henderson | ||
| 2024 | ||||||||
Timeline of Governors
| Timeline of Utah governors |
 |
See Also
- List of Utah's State Legislatures
- Who takes over if the Governor can't serve
