Gary R. Herbert

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Gary Herbert
Prior offices:
Governor of Utah
Years in office: 2009 - 2021
Successor:Spencer Cox (R)

Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Years in office: 2005 - 2009

Utah County Commissioner
Years in office: 1990 - 2004

Elections and appointments
Last election
November 8, 2016
Education
High school
Orem High School
Bachelor's
Brigham Young University
Military
Service / branch
U.S. Military National Guard
Personal
Religion
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

Gary Herbert (Republican Party) was theGovernor of Utah. He assumed office on August 11, 2009. He left office on January 4, 2021.

Herbert (Republican Party) ran for re-election forGovernor of Utah. He won in the general election on November 8, 2016.

Herbert assumed office on August 11, 2009, while serving aslieutenant governor of Utah after former governorJon Huntsman (R) left office to become U.S. ambassador to China.[1][2] Herbert won a special election in 2010 to determine who would serve out the remainder of Huntsman's term. He was elected to a full term in2012 and re-elected in2016.[3]

While governor, he served as chair of both the National Governors Association and Western Governors Association. In 2019, he was president of the Council of State Governments.[4]

Biography

Gary R. Herbert was born in American Fork, Utah, to Paul and Carol Peters and was later adopted by his stepfather, Duane Herbert. He grew up in Orem, Utah, and after graduating from Orem High School served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern Atlantic States Mission.[5]

He attended, but did not graduate from, Brigham Young University. While studying there, Herbert joined the Utah National Guard, serving for six years and eventually earning the rank of staff sergeant. When his military service was completed, he began a career in real estate, founding Herbert & Associates Realtors, a brokerage firm based in Orem.

His political career began on the Utah County Commission, where he served for 14 years. During that time he was president of the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah Association of Realtors.[4] Herbert and his wife, Jeannette, also founded and ran a child care service in Orem for 23 years.[5]

Political career

Governor of Utah (2009-2021)

Herbert first becamegovernor of Utah on August 11, 2009, when then-GovernorJon Huntsman stepped down to take a position as U.S. ambassador to China. He later won a special election in 2010 to fill the remainder of Huntsman's term. He was re-elected onNovember 6, 2012, along with running mateLieutenant GovernorGreg Bell. Herbert won re-election alongside running mateSpencer Cox on November 8, 2016.

Lieutenant governor of Utah (2005-2009)

In 2004, Herbert was a candidate forGovernor of Utah until one month before the state nominating convention. At that point, he teamed up withJon Huntsman and ran as his lieutenant governor. The pair defeated incumbent Olene Walker at theRepublican convention and went on to win the general election in November.

Utah County commissioner (1990-2004)

Herbert is a former member of the Utah County Commission. While serving as commissioner, he received the National Outstanding Republican County Elected Official of the Year award.

Elections

2020

See also:Utah gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020

Gary R. Herbert did not file to run for re-election.

2016

Fact check/Are Gov. Herbert's claims about Utah's employment picture accurate?
Fact check/Did Utah Governor Gary Herbert raise taxes by over $600 million?
See also:Utah gubernatorial election, 2016

General election

IncumbentsGary Herbert and Spencer Cox defeatedMike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman,Brian Kamerath and Barry Short,Dell Schanze and Gregory Duerden, andL.S. Brown in the Utah governor and lieutenant governor election.

Utah Governor, 2016
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngGary Herbert and Spencer CoxIncumbent66.75%750,828
    DemocraticMike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman28.67%322,462
    LibertarianBrian Kamerath and Barry Short3.08%34,687
    Independent American PartyDell Schanze and Gregory Duerden1.51%16,936
    Write-inL.S. Brown0.00%0
Total Votes1,124,913
Source:Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office-Elections

Primary election

Challenger and Overstock.com CEOJonathan Johnson (Utah) (R) won 55 percent of the vote at the state convention in April, forcing Herbert into a primary election. In Utah, primary elections are only held if candidates do not secure at least 60 percent of the vote at the party conventions. Despite the show of support from Republican delegates, Johnson ultimately lost the nomination to Herbert by a 44 percent margin during the June 28 primary.

Utah Republican primary for governor and lieutenant governor, 2016
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGary Herbert andSpencer Cox(incumbents)72.1%165,678
Jonathan Johnson (Utah) andRobyn Bagley27.9%63,978
Total Votes229,656
Election results viaUtah Secretary of State; all precincts reporting.

Campaign finance

2012

See also:Utah gubernatorial election, 2012

Hebert andLt. Gov.Greg Bell ran for re-election. At the statewideRepublican Party nominating convention in late April, the pair was supported by 63 percent of the Republican delegates, beatingDavid Kirkham,Morgan Philpot,Kenneth Sumsion,Lane Ronnow, andWilliam Skokos for theRepublican Party nomination.[6]

In the November 6 general election, Herbert and Bell defeatedDemocratsPeter Cooke andVince Rampton,LibertariansKen Larsen andRob Latham, andConstitution Party candidatesKirk Pearson andTim Alders.[7][8]

Governor of Utah General Election, 2012
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    Democratic Peter Cooke and Vince Rampton27.7%253,514
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngGary Herbert and Greg BellIncumbent68.4%624,678
    Libertarian Ken Larsen and Rob Latham2.2%19,956
    Constitution Kirk Pearson and Tim Alders1.7%15,548
Total Votes913,696
Election results viaState of Utah


2010

See also:Utah gubernatorial election, 2010

Utah was not scheduled to hold a gubernatorial election until 2012. However, elected Republican Jon Huntsman gave up the seat to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China in August 2009. Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert assumed the governorship upon Huntsman's departure, and won the seat by special election in 2010.

General

Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah, 2010
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngGary Herbert/Greg BellIncumbent64.2%381,531
    DemocraticPeter Corroon/Sheryl Allen31.8%188,911
    IndependentFarley M. Anderson/Steve Maxfield2%11,842
    LibertarianW. Andrew McCullough/Aric Cramer, Sr.2%11,723
Total Votes594,007
Election results viaState of Utah''



Primary

With 70.8 percent of the vote, acting governor Herbert overtook two fellow Republicans to secure the party's nomination in the 2010 special election primary race for governor.

Governor, 2010
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGary R. Herbert71.1%2,386
Daniel Van Oaks Jr.24.7%830
Richard Martin4.2%141
Total Votes3,357


2008

On November 4, 2008,Jon Huntsman/Gary Herbert won re-election to the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah. They defeated Bob Springmeyer/Valdez, Dell Schanze/Hobbs and Doughton in the general election.

Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah, 2008
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngJon Huntsman/Gary HerbertIncumbent77.6%734,049
    Democratic Bob Springmeyer/Valdez19.7%186,503
    Libertarian Dell Schanze/Hobbs2.6%24,820
    Write-In Doughton0%153
Total Votes945,525
Election results viaUtah Lieutenant Governor.


2004

On November 2, 2004,Jon Huntsman/Gary Herbert won election to the office of Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah. They defeated Matheson/Hale, Larsen/Shadowind and Fonua in the general election.

Governor/Lt. Governor of Utah, 2004
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngJon Huntsman/Gary Herbert57.7%531,190
    Democratic Matheson/Hale41.3%380,359
    PC Larsen/Shadowind0.9%8,399
    Write-In Fonua0%12
Total Votes919,960
Election results viaElections.utah.gov.


Presidential preference

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Herbert endorsedTed Cruz for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S.presidential election.[9]

See also:Endorsements for Ted Cruz
2016 Presidential Endorsements by Governors
GovernorCandidateDateSource
Democratic PartyAlejandro J. García PadillaDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJune 2016The Associated Press
Democratic PartyJerry BrownDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonMay 2016Reuters.com
Republican PartyPete RickettsRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016The Washington Post
Republican PartyMike PenceRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016Tribune Star
Republican PartyPhil BryantRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016Politico
Republican PartyRick ScottRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMarch 2016NBC News
Republican PartyMary FallinRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016The Washington Times
Republican PartyBrian SandovalRepublican PartyJohn Kasich (primary)April 2016CNN
Republican PartyScott WalkerRepublican PartyTed CruzMarch 2016Politico
Republican PartyGary R. HerbertRepublican PartyTed Cruz (primary)March 2016The Hill
Republican PartySusana MartinezRepublican PartyMarco Rubio (primary)March 2016Politico
Republican PartyPaul LePageRepublican PartyDonald TrumpFebruary 2016Politico
Republican PartyChris ChristieRepublican PartyDonald TrumpFebruary 2016CNN
Republican PartyButch OtterRepublican PartyJohn KasichFebruary 2016CNN
Republican PartyGreg AbbottRepublican PartyTed CruzFebruary 2016CNN
Republican PartyAsa HutchinsonRepublican PartyMarco RubioFebruary 2016CNN
Republican PartyNikki HaleyRepublican PartyMarco RubioFebruary 2016CNN
Republican PartySam BrownbackRepublican PartyMarco RubioFebruary 2016CBS News
Democratic PartyJay InsleeDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonNovember 2015Seattle Times
Democratic PartyJay NixonDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonNovember 2015KBIA Mid-Missouri Public Radio
Democratic PartyJack MarkellDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2015delawareonline
Democratic PartyJohn HickenlooperDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2015Denver Post
Democratic PartyMaggie HassanDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonSeptember, 2015Patch
Democratic PartyMark DaytonDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonNovember 2013Politics Minnesota
Democratic PartyAndrew CuomoDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonApril 2015New York Observer
Republican PartyLarry HoganRepublican PartyChris ChristieJuly 2015The Washington Times
Democratic PartyPeter ShumlinDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonMay 2015The Hill
Democratic PartyTerry McAuliffeDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonApril 2015The Washington Post
Democratic PartyTom WolfDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJune 2015Twitter
Democratic PartyDan MalloyDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJune 2015Hartford Courant
  • On October 7, 2016, afterThe Washington Post released a 2005 video of Trump making comments about women that thePost described as "extremely lewd," Herbert announced he would not vote forDonald Trump orHillary Clinton in the 2016 general election.[10][11]
See also:Republican reactions to 2005 Trump tape


2012

See also:Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Gary R. Herbert endorsedMitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[12]

Noteworthy events

Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement

Main article:U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees

After the attacks in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, many U.S. governors declared their support or opposition to Syrian refugee resettlement in their states. Herbert expresseduncertainty on the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state ofUtah. He said:

Governors really don't have the ability to stop refugees from coming into their states, in spite the rhetoric we hear out there. Let's get on the prevention side and make sure that the federal government, which has the number one responsibility, is doing all they can to prevent terrorists from coming into our country.[13]
—Gov. Gary Herbert[14]

Republican governors support for Medicaid expansion

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam,Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, andWyoming Gov. Matt Mead announced support for a federal proposal to expand Medicaid following the Republican Party's strong showing in the2014 elections. All three governors sought to receive additional Medicaid funding proposed byPresident Barack Obama (D) while crafting state-level alternatives to requirements in theAffordable Care Act. Haslam, Herbert, and Mead had joined nine other Republican governors in seeking Medicaid expansion as of December 22, 2014.[15] At the end ofPres.Barack Obama's time in office, 11Republican governors had adoptedMedicaid in their state.[16] Haslam, Herbert, and Mead were not among them; their proposals were each defeated by their state legislatures.[17]

Response to the 2014 illegal immigration surge

See also:2014 illegal immigration surge

On July 22, 2014, the Republican governors ofAlabama,North Carolina,Pennsylvania,Utah andWisconsin sent a letter to President Obama expressing concerns about how the administration was handling the increase in unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border between 2013 and 2014.[18] The governors argued that a failure to return the children to their home countries would “send a message that will encourage a much larger movement towards our southern border. We fear that this will put a significant number of children at risk of abuse and neglect on their journey to the United States.”[19]

Job creation ranking

A June 2013 analysis byThe Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Herbert was ranked number 3. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[20][21]

Judicial appointments

As governor, Herbert was responsible for appointing judges toUtah state courts. In Utah, the governor makes a judicial appointment after candidates are recommended by a judicial nominating commission. After the governor appoints a judge, she or he must be confirmed by theUtah State Senate. Judges then stand for retention in the next general election more than three years after appointment. For an up-to-date list of all of Herbert's appointees, seeJudges appointed by Gary Herbert.

Campaign finance summary


Ballotpedia LogoNote: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.


Gary Herbert campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2012Governor of UtahWon$3,636,956 N/A**
2010Governor of UtahWon$2,572,637 N/A**
2008Utah Lieutenant GovernorWon$3,509 N/A**
Grand total$6,213,102 N/A**
Sources:OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

2016 Republican National Convention

See also:Republican National Convention, 2016

Herbert wasan at-large delegate to the2016 Republican National Convention fromUtah. All 40 delegates from Utah were bound by state party rules to supportTed Cruz at the convention. Cruz suspended his campaign on May 3, 2016. At the time, he had approximately546 bound delegates. For more on what happened to his delegates, seethis page.

Delegate rules

See also:RNC delegate guidelines from Utah, 2016 andRepublican delegates from Utah, 2016

Delegates from Utah to theRepublican National Convention were elected at the Utah state GOP convention in April 2016. All Utah delegates werebound by the results of thestate's caucus onthe first ballot. If a candidate allocated delegates did not compete at the national convention, then his or her delegates were reallocated and bound to the remaining candidates.

Utah primary results

See also:Presidential election in Utah, 2016
Utah Republican Caucus, 2016
CandidateVote %VotesDelegates
Green check mark transparent.pngTed Cruz69.2%122,56740
John Kasich16.8%29,7730
Donald Trump14%24,8640
Totals177,20440
Source:The New York Times andCNN

Delegate allocation

See also:2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules
Logo-GOP.png

Utah had 40 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 12 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's four congressional districts). District delegates were allocated proportionally; a candidate had to win at least 15 percent of the statewide caucus vote in order to be eligible to receive any district-level delegates. If a candidate received more than 50 percent of the statewide caucus vote, he or she received all of the state's district delegates.[22][23]

Of the remaining 28 delegates, 25 served at large. Utah's at-large delegates were allocated proportionally; a candidate had to win at least 15 percent of the statewide caucus vote in order to be eligible to receive any at-large delegates. If a candidate received more than 50 percent of the statewide vote, he or she won all of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.[22][23]

Personal

Note: Pleasecontact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Herbert and his wife, Jeanette, have six children and eight grandchildren. He is the past president of both the Utah Association of Realtors and the Utah Association of Counties.[4]

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External links


Footnotes

  1. Deseret News, "New governor's first day on the job," August 12, 2009
  2. Salt Lake Tribune, "Huntsman out as guv, takes new post as ambassador," August 11, 2009
  3. CNN, "Herbert wins re-election as Utah Governor," November 6, 2012
  4. 4.04.14.2Governor Gary R. Herbert, "Gary Richard Herbert," accessed February 6, 2019Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content
  5. 5.05.1Governor of Utah, "About Gary R. Herbert," accessed May 21, 2012
  6. Salt Lake Tribune, "Herbert wins nod, Philpot feels betrayed," April 21, 2012
  7. Associated Press: Election Results, "Utah - summary vote," accessed June 27, 2012
  8. Deseret News, "Election Results" accessed November 6, 2012
  9. The Hill, "Utah governor voting for Cruz," March 21, 2016
  10. Twitter, "Gary R. Herbert," October 7, 2016
  11. The Washington Post, "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005," October 8, 2016
  12. The Republic, "Gov. Gary Herbert endorses Mitt Romney for GOP presidential nomination," February 2, 2012
  13. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  14. "Fox 13 Now, "Herbert now only Republican gov. who has not refused Syrian refugees," November 17, 2015
  15. The Washington Post, "Three Republican governors have now endorsed the Medicaid expansion since the midterms," December 15, 2014
  16. NPR, "Meet The Republican Governors Who Don't Want To Repeal All Of Obamacare," January 23, 2017
  17. Advisory Board, "Where the states stand on Medicaid expansion," May 19, 2017
  18. United States Customs and Border Protection, "DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson Visits the Rio Grande Valley," December 2, 2014
  19. Utah Governor Gary Herbert, "Gov. Herbert discusses undocumented unaccompanied minors on U.S. border," accessed July 10, 2018
  20. The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
  21. The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
  22. 22.022.1Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
  23. 23.023.1CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
Political offices
Preceded by
Jon Huntsman (R)
Governor of Utah
2009-2021
Succeeded by
Spencer Cox (R)
Preceded by
'
Lieutenant Governor of Utah
2005-2009
Succeeded by
Gregory Bell (R)
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