Lieutenant Governor of Utah
| Utah Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $149,040 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $15,743,400 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Utah Constitution, Article VII Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Deidre Henderson | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 7, 2028 |
| Last election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Other Utah Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Attorney General •Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of Utah is an elected statutory officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Utah. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is not subject to term limits.
Current officer
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The ninth and current lieutenant governor is Deidre Henderson (R). Henderson assumed office in 2021.[1]
Authority
The Utah Constitution establishes the office of lieutenant governor in Article VII Section 1, the Executive Department.
Under Article VII, Section 1,
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The Executive Department shall consist of Governor, Lieutenant Governor...[2] |
The Utah Code elaborates on the authority of the office in Title 67, Chapter 1a, Section 1.
Under Chapter 1a, Section 1:
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It is the intent of the Legislature to emphasize the significant responsibilities and duties assigned to the lieutenant governor of the state. As the second highest official of the state, the lieutenant governor is next in command of the executive department in the event of death, removal, resignation, or disability of the governor. The assignment of important responsibilities to the lieutenant governor is essential to the continuity of state government and for the effective use of funds appropriated to the office of lieutenant governor. [2] |
Qualifications
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In order to be eligible for the office of lieutenant governor, a candidate must be:[2]
- at least 30 years old
- a resident of Utah for at least five years on the day of the election
- a United States citizen
- a qualified elector of Utah at the time of election
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Utah elects lieutenant governors in the presidential election years (e.g. 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032). Legally, the lieutenant gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election.
In Utah, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on a shared ticket in both the primary and the general elections, meaning the two officers will always belong to the same party.
In the event of a tie between two candidates, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots to choose among the top two vote-getters.[2]
2024
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deidre Henderson (R) | 52.7 | 781,431 | |
| Rebekah Cummings (D) | 28.4 | 420,514 | ||
| Natalie Clawson (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 13.5 | 200,551 | ||
| Barry Evan Short (L) | 2.8 | 41,164 | ||
| Archie Williams III (Independent American Party) | 1.9 | 27,480 | ||
| William Taylor (Unaffiliated) | 0.4 | 5,792 | ||
| Sylvia Miera Fisk (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 525 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 4,464 | ||
| Total votes: 1,481,921 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Carol Lyman (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Rebekah Cummings advanced from the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Incumbent Deidre Henderson defeated Natalie Clawson in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on June 25, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deidre Henderson | 54.4 | 232,164 | |
| Natalie Clawson | 45.6 | 194,639 | ||
| Total votes: 426,803 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Layne Bangerter (R)
Independent American Party primary election
The Independent American Party primary election was canceled. Archie Williams III advanced from the Independent American Party primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah.
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Barry Evan Short advanced from the Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah.
2020
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deidre Henderson (R) | 63.0 | 918,754 | |
| Karina Andelin Brown (D) | 30.4 | 442,754 | ||
| Barry Evan Short (L) | 3.5 | 51,393 | ||
 | Wayne Hill (Independent American Party of Utah) | 1.8 | 25,810 | |
| Ed Kennedy (Independent) (Unofficially withdrew) (Write-in) | 1.3 | 18,988 | |
| Gregory Johnson (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 12 | |
| Total votes: 1,457,711 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Deidre Henderson defeated Michelle Kaufusi, Victor Iverson, and Robert Bishop in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deidre Henderson | 36.1 | 190,565 | |
| Michelle Kaufusi | 34.9 | 184,246 | ||
| Victor Iverson | 21.0 | 110,835 | |
| Robert Bishop | 7.9 | 41,532 | ||
| Total votes: 527,178 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Karina Andelin Brown advanced from the Democratic convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on April 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Karina Andelin Brown (D) | |
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Deidre Henderson and Victor Iverson defeated Drew Chamberlain and Dan McCay in the Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Utah on April 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| Drew Chamberlain (R) | |
| ✔ | Deidre Henderson (R) | |
| ✔ | | Victor Iverson (R) |
| Dan McCay (R) | ||
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2016
- See also: Utah gubernatorial election, 2016
Incumbents Gary Herbert and Spencer Cox defeated Mike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman, Brian Kamerath and Barry Short, Dell Schanze and Gregory Duerden, and L.S. Brown in the Utah governor and lieutenant governor election.
| Utah Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Gary Herbert and Spencer Cox Incumbent |
66.75% | 750,828 | |
| Democratic | Mike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman | 28.67% | 322,462 | |
| Libertarian | Brian Kamerath and Barry Short | 3.08% | 34,687 | |
| Independent American Party | Dell Schanze and Gregory Duerden | 1.51% | 16,936 | |
| Write-in | L.S. Brown | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 1,124,913 | |||
| Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office-Elections | ||||
Full history
To view the electoral history dating back to 2000 for the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Utah elects its governors and lieutenant governors on the same ticket. 2012 Incumbents Gary Herbert and Greg Bell (R) won re-election in 2012. They defeated Democrats Peter Cooke and Vince Rampton, Libertarians Ken Larsen and Rob Latham, and Constitution Party candidates Kirk Pearson and Tim Alders in the November 6, 2012 general election.
Utah was not scheduled to hold a gubernatorial election until 2012. However, elected Republican Jon Huntsman gave up the seat to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China in August 2009. Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert assumed the governorship upon Huntsman's departure. On November 2, 2010, Gary Herbert/Greg Bell won re-election to the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah. They defeated Peter Corroon/Sheryl Allen, Farley M. Anderson/Steve Maxfield and W. Andrew McCullough/Aric Cramer, Sr. in the general election.
2008On November 4, 2008, Jon Huntsman/Gary Herbert won re-election to the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah. They defeated Bob Springmeyer/Valdez, Dell Schanze/Hobbs and Doughton in the general election.
2004 On November 2, 2004, Jon Huntsman/Gary Herbert won election to the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah. They defeated Matheson/Hale, Larsen/Shadowind and Fonua in the general election.
2000 On November 7, 2000, Michael Leavitt/Olene S. Walker won re-election to the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah. They defeated Bill Orton/Hale and Jeremy Friedbaum/McKenzie in the general election.
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Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article VII, Section 10.
Vacancies in the lieutenant governor's offices are filled by gubernatorial appointment, with the consent of the state Senate. The appointee must be from the same political party as the governor.[2]
Duties
Duties of the office are enumerated in the Utah Code, under Title 67, Chapter 1a, Section 2.
The lieutenant governor is the first in the line of succession in the event that the governor is incapacitated or absent, or when the elected governor dies, resigns, or is removed.[2]
The office of the Utah Secretary of State was abolished in 1976 and those duties were given to the lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor has since been charged with overseeing components of the initiative process. The lieutenant governor's additional duties include the oversight of all notaries public, the legal authentication of documents, maintaining oversight and regulation of registered lobbyists, certifying municipal annexations, maintaining oversight over all elections, and serving as the keeper of the state seal.[2]
Other duties and privileges of the office include:[2]
- Serving as the chief election officer of Utah
- Keeping a register of, and attesting to, all official acts of the governor
- Serving as the governor's liaison the to legislature
- Serving as an adviser to the governor on policy, fiscal and budgetary matters
- Sitting on or chairing commissions, boards, committees and cabinet agencies as delegated by the governor
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Lieutenant Governor of Utah has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
- See also: Utah state budget and finances
The budget for the Governor/Lieutenant Governor's Office in Fiscal Year 2024 was $15,743,400.[3]
Compensation
See statutes: UT Code § 67-22-1 (2014)
The lieutenant governor, along with Utah's other elected executives, is entitled to a fixed salary, pursuant to Article VII, Section 18 of the Utah Constitution.
| The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and any other state officer as the Legislature may provide, shall receive for their services a fixed and definite compensation as provided by law.[2] |
The amount of compensation the lieutenant governor receives annually is set by Title 67, Chapter 22, Section 1 of the Utah Code.[4]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $149,040, according to the Council of State Governments.[5]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $149,040, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $144,671 according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $135,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $135,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $104,405 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $104,405 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor received a salary $104,400 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $104,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated $104,000. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[14]
Historical officeholders
There have been nine lieutenant governors since the creation of the position in 1976. Of the nine officeholders, eight were Republicans and one was a Democrat.[15]
| List of officeholders from 1976-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Clyde L. Miller | 1976-1977 | |||
| 2 | David S. Monson | 1977-1985 | |||
| 3 | W. Val Oveson | 1985-1993 | |||
| 4 | Olene S. Walker | 1993-2003 | |||
| 5 | Gayle McKeachnie | 2003-2004 | |||
| 6 | Gary R. Herbert | 2005-2009 | |||
| 7 | Gregory Bell | 2009-2013 | |||
| 8 | Spencer Cox | 2013-2021 | |||
| 9 | Deidre Henderson | 2021 - Present | |||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Utah Lieutenant Governor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
350 North State Street, Suite 220
P.O. Box 142325
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2325
Phone: (801) 538-1041
Fax: (801) 538-1133
See also
| Utah | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lieutenant Governor of Utah, "Deidre M. Henderson," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Utah State Legislature, "Utah Constitution," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Utah Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, "Budget of the State of Utah and related Appropriations - Fiscal years 2023 and 2024," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ Justia.com, "UT Code § 67-22-1 (2014)," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 29, 2014
- ↑ Utah Department of Administrative Services, Governors' Records at the Utah State Archives, accessed January 21, 2021
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