The Governor of Utah is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Utah[1] and the commander-in-chief of its military forces.[2] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,[1] and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Utah Legislature[3] and to convene the legislature on "extraordinary occasions".[4]
The governor has a four-year term, commencing on the first Monday of January after election.[5] To be elected governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of Utah for at least 5 years, at the time of election.[6] The lieutenant governor is elected on the same ticket as the governor.[7] 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.[8] There is no term limit.
There were 14 governors of Utah Territory, which became a state on January 4, 1896. Since statehood, there have been 17 governors of Utah, including 11 Republicans and 6 Democrats. The longest-serving governor was Calvin Lewellyn Rampton, who served three terms from 1965 to 1977. The shortest-serving governor was Olene Smith Walker, who served the remaining 14 months of Michael Okerlund Leavitt's term upon Leavitt's resignation. The current governor is Republican Gary R. Herbert, who took office on August 11, 2009.
List of Governors of Utah Territory
Utah Territory was organized by Act of Congress on September 9, 1850.
List of Utah Governors since Statehood
The State of Utah was admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Since statehood, fourteen of the seventeen governors have been members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the last non-Mormon governor being in 1957.
| # |
Picture |
Governor |
Took office |
Left office |
Party |
Lt. Governor[note 2] |
Term |
Notes |
| 1 |
|
 |
Heber Manning Wells[9] |
January 6, 1896 |
January 2, 1905 |
Republican |
None |
1 |
|
| 2 |
| 2 |
|
 |
John Christopher Cutler |
January 2, 1905 |
January 4, 1909 |
Republican |
None |
3 |
|
| 3 |
|
|
William Spry |
January 4, 1909 |
January 1, 1917 |
Republican |
None |
4 |
|
| 5 |
| 4 |
|
 |
Simon Bamberger |
January 1, 1917 |
January 3, 1921 |
Democratic |
None |
6 |
|
| 5 |
|
|
Charles Rendell Mabey |
January 3, 1921 |
January 5, 1925 |
Republican |
None |
7 |
|
| 6 |
|
 |
George Henry Dern |
January 5, 1925 |
January 2, 1933 |
Democratic |
None |
8 |
|
| 9 |
| 7 |
|
|
Henry Hooper Blood |
January 2, 1933 |
January 6, 1941 |
Democratic |
None |
10 |
|
| 11 |
| 8 |
|
|
Herbert Brown Maw |
January 6, 1941 |
January 3, 1949 |
Democratic |
None |
12 |
|
| 13 |
| 9 |
|
|
Joseph Bracken Lee |
January 3, 1949 |
January 7, 1957 |
Republican |
None |
14 |
|
| 15 |
| 10 |
|
|
George Dewey Clyde |
January 7, 1957 |
January 4, 1965 |
Republican |
None |
16 |
|
| 17 |
| 11 |
|
|
Calvin Lewellyn Rampton[10][11] |
January 4, 1965 |
January 3, 1977 |
Democratic |
None |
18 |
|
| 19 |
| 20 |
| |
Clyde L. Miller |
| 12 |
|
 |
Scott Milne Matheson[12] |
January 3, 1977 |
January 7, 1985 |
Democratic |
|
David S. Monson |
21 |
|
| 22 |
| 13 |
|
|
Norman Howard Bangerter[13][14] |
January 7, 1985 |
January 4, 1993 |
Republican |
|
W. Val Oveson |
23 |
|
| 24 |
| 14 |
|
 |
Michael Okerlund Leavitt[15][16][17] |
January 4, 1993 |
November 5, 2003 |
Republican |
|
Olene S. Walker |
25 |
[note 3] |
| 26 |
| 27 |
| 15 |
|
 |
Olene Smith Walker[18] |
November 5, 2003 |
January 3, 2005 |
Republican |
|
Gayle McKeachnie |
|
| 16 |
|
 |
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr.[19][20] |
January 3, 2005 |
August 11, 2009 |
Republican |
|
Gary R. Herbert |
28 |
[note 4] |
| 29 |
| 17 |
|
 |
Gary R. Herbert[21] |
August 11, 2009 |
Incumbent |
Republican |
|
Greg Bell |
|
Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Utah except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
Living former governors
As of September 2009[update], four former governors are alive, the oldest being Olene Smith Walker (2003–2005, born 1930). The most recent governor to die was Calvin Lewellyn Rampton (1965–1977), who died September 16, 2007. The most recently-serving governor to die was Scott Milne Matheson (1977–1985), who died October 7, 1990.
Notes
References
- General
- Constitutions
- Specific
- ^ a b UT Const. art. VII, § 5.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 4.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 8.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 6.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 1.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 3.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 2.
- ^ UT Const. art. VII, § 11.
- ^ "SALT LAKE CELEBRATES; Civic Demonstration in Honor of Utah's Statehood. GOVERNOR WELLS IS INAUGURATED The Installation in the Mormon Temple -- An Exposition of the new State's Natural Re- sources.". The New York Times. 1896-01-07. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B00E7D7153EE333A25754C0A9679C94679ED7CF. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Democrat is sworn in as Utah governor". The New York Times. 1965-01-05. pp. 19. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10E13FF355C147A93C7A9178AD85F418685F9. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Silence". Ledger, The. 1973-01-02. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QzgVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c_oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3885,289012&dq=calvin+rampton+sworn+in. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Death: Scott Milne Matheson". Deseret News. 1990-10-09. http://archive.deseretnews.com/archive/126172/DEATH--SCOTT-MILNE-MATHESON.html. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Newsline: The West Bangerter Will Take State Reins Jan. 7". Deseret News. 1985-01-01. pp. B1. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EwUPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-4IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6500,80112&dq=bangerter+sworn+in. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Governor who wouldn't give in gets sworn in". Deseret News. 1989-01-02. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=DSNB&d_place=DSNB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F35FBC4768525B2&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Leavitt vows to set new standards for Utah government". Deseret News. 1993-01-04. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=DSNB&d_place=DSNB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F3608374F6820F2&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "State officials taking oaths of office Monday at capitol". Deseret News. 1997-01-05. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=DSNB&d_place=DSNB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F3648DAE4EBCA4E&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ Burton, Greg (2001-01-05). "Leavitt Sails Into Third Term". The Salt Lake Tribune. pp. A1. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SLTB&p_theme=sltb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=100E7FEDE668E578&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ Spangler, Jerry (2003-11-06). "Walker takes oath as Utah governor". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,525036051,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ Ziober, Leslie (2005-01-04). "Brigham Young U.: Huntsman sworn in as 16th governor of Utah.". America's Intelligence Wire. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-18491533_ITM. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "Gov. Huntsman sworn in for second term". KSL. 2008-01-05. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5233726. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ Piatt, Richard; Richards, Mary & Associated Press (2009-08-11). "Huntsman resigns governor's office; Herbert sworn in". KSL.com. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7496179. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
