The 1988 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1988.

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee and incumbent

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Norman H. Bangerter Norman Howard Bangerter (January 4, 1933 – April 14, 2015) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 13th governor of Utah from 1985 to 1993. He was the first Republican elected to the position since 1960, and the first to h ...

defeated Democratic nominee Ted Wilson and

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Merrill Cook Merrill Cook (born May 6, 1946) is a Republican Party politician and businessman who served in the United States House of Representatives from Utah. Early life and career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Co ...

with 40.13% of the vote. As of 2023, this is the closest a Democrat has come to winning the governorship in Utah since Scott M. Matheson left office in 1985.

Republican nomination

Candidates

Declared

, incumbent

*Dean Samuels, teacher

Withdrawn

Jon Huntsman Sr. Jon Meade Huntsman Sr. (June 21, 1937 – February 2, 2018) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals. Huntsman p ...

, industrialist and former White House Staff Secretary

Results

Bangerter defeated Samuels at the state convention on June 11 with over 70% of the vote and therefore avoided a primary.

Democratic nomination

Candidates

Declared

* Ted Wilson, former

Mayor of Salt Lake City This is a list of mayors of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Salt Lake City was incorporated on January 6, 1851. The mayor of Salt Lake City is a non-partisan position. See also *Mayoral elections in Salt Lake City References *Harold Schindler, (N ...

*David E. Hewett, physician

Results

Wilson defeated Hewett at the state convention on June 25 with over 70% of the vote and therefore avoided a primary.

American Party nomination

Candidates

Declared

*Arly H. Pedersen, National Chairman *Lawrence Ray Topham, perennial candidate

Results

Pedersen defeated Topham at the state convention on June 25 with over 70% of the vote and therefore avoided a primary.

General election

Polling

Candidates

*Ted Wilson, Democratic *Norm Bangerter, Republican *Arly H. Pedersen, American *Merrill Cook, Independent *Kitty K. Burton, Libertarian

Results

References

Bibliography

* * {{US Third Party Election

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

Gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

November 1988 events in the United States