The 2024 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Utah.
Incumbent Governor Spencer Cox ran for a second term, winning the Republican primary against state representative Phil Lyman with 54.4% of the vote; Lyman later mounted a write-in campaign for the general election. Cox won the general election in November, defeating Democratic nominee and state representative Brian King as well as Lyman.
This was the worst performance for a Republican gubernatorial candidate since 1992, which also saw a major independent candidate. Cox's 24.43% margin of victory was also the smallest since 2004. Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in Utah since 1980.
Background
Utah is considered to be a strongly red state at the federal and state levels: Republicans control all statewide executive offices, the entire congressional delegation, and supermajorities in both state legislative chambers. In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump carried Utah by 20.5%.
Cox was first elected in 2020, defeating Christopher Peterson by 32.65%.
Republican primary
Incumbent Republican governor Spencer Cox faced criticism from many conservatives for his moderate political positions, including his veto of HB11, and opposition to former president Donald Trump. Cox was booed at the Utah Republican state convention in April 2024. He faced a primary challenge from state representative Phil Lyman, who won over 67% of the vote at the convention. However, Cox collected enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot. Cox consistently led Lyman in polls and won re-nomination, though Lyman refused to concede.
Candidates
Nominee
- Spencer Cox, incumbent governor
- Running mate: Deidre Henderson, incumbent lieutenant governor
Eliminated in primary
- Phil Lyman, state representative
- Running mate: Natalie Clawson, attorney
- Previous running mate: Layne Bangerter, former special assistant to the president
Eliminated at convention
- Sylvia Miera-Fisk, commercial pilot
- Carson Jorgensen, former chair of the Utah Republican Party (2021–2023) and candidate for Utah's 2nd congressional district in 2020
- Running mate: Corrine Johnson, activist
- Scott Robbins, U.S. Marine Corps veteran
Declined
- Jason Chaffetz, former U.S. representative from Utah's 3rd congressional district (2009–2017)
- Robert O'Brien, former U.S. National Security Advisor (2019–2021)
Aftermath
Lyman later sued, claiming that the Republican convention was responsible for selecting the party's nominee and that the primary was illegal. The Utah Supreme Court rejected his argument. Lyman later announced that he would run as a write-in candidate.
Cox has since backed Trump after an assassination attempt made during a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, stating in a letter: "Your life was spared. Now, because of that miracle, you have the opportunity to do something that no other person on earth can do right now: unify and save our country." Cox also stated in a later news conference: “I am doing everything I can to help and support him...We will still have lots of disagreements, I’m sure, and we’ll still do everything we can to help the state of Utah and help the Republican Party be successful.”
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Brian King, state representative from the 23rd district (2009–present) and former Minority Leader of the Utah House of Representatives (2015–2023)
- Running mate: Rebekah Cummings, director of digital matters at the University of Utah
Endorsements
Brian King
Libertarian Party
Candidates
Nominee
- J. Robert Latham, attorney, nominee for lieutenant governor in 2012, and nominee for Utah's 2nd congressional district in 2020
- Running mate: Barry Short, businessman, perennial candidate, and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2016 and 2020
Independent American Party
Candidates
Nominee
- Tommy Williams, perennial candidate and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022
- Running mate: Archie Williams, heavy equipment operator and perennial candidate
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Tom Tomeny, businessman
- Running mate: William Lansing Taylor, geologist
Other candidates
Republican write-in
- Phil Lyman, state representative
- Running mate: Natalie Clawson
General election
Results
By county
Cox won 27 of 29 counties, with King winning the other two.
By congressional district
Cox won all four congressional districts.