Utah is one of six that has never elected a former or sitting Lieutenant Governor to the Governor’s office. Current Lt
Cox, who announced his bid for governor this week, is seeking to be the first to accomplish the feat since Utah created the office in 1975.
Smart Politics notes the other states that have never had a former or current lieutenant governor win a gubernatorial election are Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Maryland and New Jersey.
Former Lt. Governor Olene Walker became governor in 2003 when Gov. Mike Leavitt resigned to head up the Environmental Protection Agency. Gary Herbert became governor in 2009 when Gov. Jon Huntsman was appointed Ambassador to China.
Former Gov. Jon Huntsman is rumored to be considering running for Governor again in 2020. If he were to run and win, he would be the first governor from Utah to be re-elected to that office in the state’s history.
