For related races, see 1980 United States gubernatorial elections.
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 County resultsMatheson: 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 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. 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.
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.
- ^ "1980 General Election Abstract" (PDF). Utah Secretary of State. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- "UT Governor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 5, 2020.