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, 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. 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.
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