1980 Utah gubernatorial election
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November 4, 1980
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 County results Matheson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Wright: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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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 2025[update], 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. In fact, Democrats, save in the "asterisk election" of 1988 featuring a Republican running as an Independent, have not even had a close call during that time; coming no closer in a strict two-candidate race than Matheson's Scott Jr. losing by more than sixteen points in 2004.[1][2] Matheson's victory was despite Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and incumbent Republican Senator Jake Garn both winning over 72% of the vote in their respective races on the same ballot.[3][4]
Primary election
[edit]Primary elections were held on September 9, 1980.[5]
Democratic primary
[edit]Incumbent governor Scott M. Matheson was renominated without opposition.
Republican primary
[edit]Bob Wright, former Chair of the Utah Republican Party, was nominated without opposition.
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Scott M. Matheson, Democratic
- Bob Wright, Republican
- Lawrence Rey Topham, American Party
Results
[edit]| 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% | |
| Total votes | 600,019 | 100.00% | |||
| Majority | 64,396 | 10.73% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | +4.68% | |||
Results by county
[edit]| County[4] | Scott M. Matheson Democratic |
Bob Wright Republican |
Lawrence Rey Topham American |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Beaver | 1,464 | 68.12% | 683 | 31.78% | 2 | 0.09% | 781 | 36.34% | 2,149 |
| Box Elder | 6,963 | 46.39% | 8,009 | 53.36% | 38 | 0.25% | -1,046 | -6.97% | 15,010 |
| Cache | 11,192 | 43.90% | 14,202 | 55.71% | 100 | 0.39% | -3,010 | -11.81% | 25,494 |
| Carbon | 6,867 | 76.15% | 2,143 | 23.76% | 8 | 0.09% | 4,724 | 52.38% | 9,018 |
| Daggett | 276 | 66.99% | 136 | 33.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 140 | 33.98% | 412 |
| Davis | 28,763 | 49.96% | 28,521 | 49.54% | 292 | 0.51% | 242 | 0.42% | 57,576 |
| Duchesne | 2,055 | 42.21% | 2,807 | 57.66% | 6 | 0.12% | -752 | -15.45% | 4,868 |
| Emery | 2,897 | 63.70% | 1,640 | 36.06% | 11 | 0.24% | 1,257 | 27.64% | 4,548 |
| Garfield | 1,173 | 59.09% | 810 | 40.81% | 2 | 0.10% | 363 | 18.29% | 1,985 |
| Grand | 1,849 | 56.61% | 1,410 | 43.17% | 7 | 0.21% | 439 | 13.44% | 3,266 |
| Iron | 4,795 | 61.94% | 2,926 | 37.80% | 20 | 0.26% | 1,869 | 24.14% | 7,741 |
| Juab | 1,627 | 60.66% | 1,049 | 39.11% | 6 | 0.22% | 578 | 21.55% | 2,682 |
| Kane | 914 | 50.64% | 886 | 49.09% | 5 | 0.28% | 28 | 1.55% | 1,805 |
| Millard | 2,529 | 56.74% | 1,921 | 43.10% | 7 | 0.16% | 608 | 13.64% | 4,457 |
| Morgan | 1,195 | 48.72% | 1,255 | 51.16% | 3 | 0.12% | -60 | -2.45% | 2,453 |
| Piute | 393 | 54.81% | 320 | 44.63% | 4 | 0.56% | 73 | 10.18% | 717 |
| Rich | 511 | 54.89% | 418 | 44.90% | 2 | 0.21% | 93 | 9.99% | 931 |
| Salt Lake | 149,985 | 59.70% | 99,691 | 39.68% | 1,543 | 0.61% | 50,294 | 20.02% | 251,219 |
| San Juan | 1,625 | 46.32% | 1,864 | 53.14% | 19 | 0.54% | -239 | -6.81% | 3,508 |
| Sanpete | 3,546 | 53.92% | 3,006 | 45.70% | 25 | 0.38% | 540 | 8.21% | 6,577 |
| Sevier | 3,654 | 52.98% | 3,209 | 46.53% | 34 | 0.49% | 445 | 6.45% | 6,897 |
| Summit | 3,135 | 62.70% | 1,859 | 37.18% | 6 | 0.12% | 1,276 | 25.52% | 5,000 |
| Tooele | 5,051 | 52.10% | 4,614 | 47.60% | 29 | 0.30% | 437 | 4.51% | 9,694 |
| Uintah | 3,145 | 43.57% | 4,064 | 56.30% | 10 | 0.14% | -919 | -12.73% | 7,219 |
| Utah | 40,804 | 47.66% | 44,693 | 52.20% | 122 | 0.14% | -3,889 | -4.54% | 85,619 |
| Wasatch | 2,299 | 58.38% | 1,635 | 41.52% | 4 | 0.10% | 664 | 16.86% | 3,938 |
| Washington | 5,465 | 46.00% | 6,365 | 53.57% | 51 | 0.43% | -900 | -7.58% | 11,881 |
| Wayne | 492 | 44.97% | 599 | 54.75% | 3 | 0.27% | -107 | -9.78% | 1,094 |
| Weber | 36,310 | 58.32% | 25,843 | 41.51% | 108 | 0.17% | 10,467 | 16.81% | 62,261 |
| Total | 330,974 | 55.16% | 266,578 | 44.43% | 2,467 | 0.41% | 64,396 | 10.73% | 600,019 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]References
[edit]
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/compare.php?year=2024&fips=49&f=0&off=5&elect=0&type=state
- ↑ "1980 Presidential Election Statistics". US Election Atlas. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- 1 2 3 "1980 Utah General Election Abstract" (PDF). Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ↑ "State of Utah - 1980 Primary Election Abstract" (PDF). Retrieved December 31, 2025.