| Elections in Utah |
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The 1980 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1980. Democratic incumbent Scott M. Matheson defeated Republican nominee Bob Wright with 55.16% of the vote. As of 2024, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of Utah; since Matheson left office in 1985, all of Utah's governors have been Republican.[1] Matheson's victory was despite Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and incumbent Republican Senator Jake Garn both winning over 70% of the vote in their respective races on the same ballot.[2][3]
General election
Candidates
- Scott M. Matheson, Democratic
- Bob Wright, Republican
- Lawrence Rey Topham, American Party
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Scott M. Matheson (incumbent) | 330,974 | 55.16% | +3.14% | |
| Republican | Bob Wright | 266,578 | 44.43% | -1.53% | |
| American | Lawrence Rey Topham | 2,467 | 0.41% | -0.92% | |
| Majority | 64,396 | 10.73% | +4.67% | ||
| Turnout | 600,019 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ Benjamin Wood (July 19, 2019). "Zachary Moses, a Democratic candidate for governor, wants to break up Republican control of Utah and build a space port". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "1980 Presidential Election Statistics". US Election Atlas. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "1980 General Election Abstract" (PDF). Utah Secretary of State. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "UT Governor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 5, 2020.