John Harmer, who served as Lt. Governor to Ronald Reagan for three months from 1974 to 1975, died on December 6, 2019, in Bountiful. He was 85.
Harmer served as an aide to Utah Senator Wallace Bennett and was elected to the California State Senate in 1966 where he served until 1974. Later that year, he was appointed by then-Governor Ronald Reagan to be his Lt. Governor following the resignation of Edwin Reinecke who was convicted of perjury.
Harmer was a graduate of East High School. He attended the University of Utah and earned his law degree from George Washington University.
Harmer ran for California Attorney General in 1970 but lost. He also unsuccessfully ran for Congress twice.
Harmer was appointed the chairman of the National Center for Constitutional Studies and fought against indecency on cable television programs. He served as chairman of the Lighted Candle Society, an organization opposed to pornography. He also filed several briefs with the Supreme Court opposing pornography.
He was the author of several books, including Reagan: Man of Principle.
