2016 Utah gubernatorial election


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.
Incumbent Republican governor Gary Herbert ran for re-election to a second full 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 Democratic party nominated former CHG Healthcare Services CEO Mike Weinholtz at the Utah Democratic convention in April.
Herbert won the general election, defeating Weinholtz by a large margin.

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.

Candidates

Declared

Results

Democratic nomination

Weinholtz defeated Cook at the Democratic convention to become the nominee.

Candidates

Declared

Debate

Predictions

Polling

with Jonathan Johnson

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Jonathan
Johnson 		Mike
Weinholtz 		OtherUndecided
SurveyUSAJune 6–8, 20161,238± 2.8%38%35%9%17%
Gravis MarketingMay 31–June 1, 20161,519± 2.5%40%29%31%—

with Jim Matheson

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Gary
Herbert 		Jim
Matheson 		OtherUndecided
UtahPolicy/Dan JonesMarch 30–April 7, 2015601± 4.0%57%33%—11%

Results

Results by county

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

  • Summit

    Results by congressional district

Herbert won all four congressional districts.
DistrictHerbertWeinholtzRepresentative
71%24%Rob Bishop
62%33%Chris Stewart
72%24%Jason Chaffetz
61%34%Mia Love