1984 Utah gubernatorial election

none related races 1984 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1984 Utah gubernatorial election Utah 1922 Presidential no 1980 Utah gubernatorial election 1980 1988 Utah gubernatorial election 1988 November 6, 1984 File:Norman Bangerter (Utah governor).png 150x150px Norman H. Bangerter Republican Party (United States) 351,792 55.87% File:Wayne Owens 100th Congress 1987 (cropped).jpg Wayne Owens Democratic Party (United States) 275,669 43.78% 1984 Utah gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 230px County resultsBangerter: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80%Owens: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% Governor Scott M. Matheson Democratic Party (United States) Norman H. Bangerter Republican Party (United States) The 1984 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1984. Republican nominee Norman H. Bangerter defeated Democratic nominee Wayne Owens with 55.87% of the vote, becoming Utah's first Republican governor in 20 years. Background Up until 1984, the Democratic Party had held the Utah Governors seat for twenty years since Cal Rampton first won in 1964. Popular Democratic Governor Scott Matheson declined to seek a third time, allowing for an open Democratic primary, in which former congressman Wayne Owens won. Kem Gardner, the chairman of the State Board of Regents, a wealthy real estate developer, and Owen's main opponent in the primary, routinely attacked Owens as being too liberal, a label Owens denied. Despite have the backing of party leadership and their endorsements, Gardner lost the primary by 24 points.1984-08-23 LIBERAL TO FACE CONSERVATIVE IN UTAH'S GUBERNATORIAL RACE https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/23/us/liberal-to-face-conservative-in-utah-s-gubernatorial-race.html 2024-08-13 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 In the Republican primary, Utah House Speaker Norman Bangerter faced off against congressman Dan Marriott, and won by nearly 13 points. Bangerter stated that his win was due to groundwork laid out by his legislative colleagues, as well as believing that Utahan's were "..ready for that experience and maybe a new face." Marriott blamed low turnout and "democratic crossover" for his loss, as well as believing voters weren't used to seeing a congressman trying to fill a governors role.Salt Lake Tribune 1984-08-22 Page 1 https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=29121743 2024-08-13 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Since Republicans already held every major elective office in Utah, from Congress to state executive positions, as well as having a majority in the state legislature, the race was seen as a likely Republican pick-up. Owen's consistently trailed in the polls behind Bangerter to election day. Nevertheless, Owen's embarked on a last minute 36-hour campaign blitz, making stops in crowded spaces from stores to bowling alleys, as well as organizing "honk and wave" demonstrations for passing drivers. Bangerter spent the last hours of the campaign at a Republican rally and gave media interviews.Ogden Standard-Examiner 1984-11-06 Page 2 https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=29502747 2024-08-13 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Bangerter was ultimately elected with 55.87% of the vote, compared to Owen's 43.78%, further solidifying Republican dominance in the state. Primary election Primary elections were held on August 21, 1984. Democratic primary Candidates Kem Gardner, chairman of the State Board of Regents Wayne Owens, former representative from Utah's 2nd Congressional District Results Democratic primary resultsState of Utah - August 21, 1984 Primary Election Report https://vote.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1984Pri.pdf 31 December 2025Congressional Quarterly 1998 147 Democratic Party (United States) Wayne Owens 51,302 62.02% Democratic Party (United States) Kem Gardner 31,421 37.98% 82,723 100.00% Republican primary Candidates Norman H. Bangerter, member of Utah House of Representatives Dan Marriott, representative from Utah's 2nd Congressional District Results Republican primary resultsCongressional Quarterly 1998 147 Republican Party (United States) Norman H. Bangerter 94,347 56.40% Republican Party (United States) Dan Marriott 72,940 43.60% 167,287 100.00% General election Candidates Wayne Owens, Democratic Norman H. Bangerter, Republican L. S. Brown, American Results 1984 Utah gubernatorial electionState of Utah - General Election Report - November 6, 1984 https://vote.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/1984Gen.pdf 31 December 2025Congressional Quarterly 1998 82 Republican Party (United States) Norman H. Bangerter 351,792 55.87% +11.45% Democratic Party (United States) Wayne Owens 275,669 43.78% -11.38% American Party (1969) L. S. Brown 2,158 0.34% -0.07% 629,619 100.00% 76,123 12.09% Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) +22.82% Results by county County Norman H. BangerterRepublican Wayne OwensDemocratic L. S. BrownAmerican Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Beaver1,08548.87%1,13551.13%00.00%-50-2.25%2,220Box Elder10,06166.20%5,11433.65%220.14%4,94732.55%15,197Cache16,50862.31%9,91037.40%760.29%6,59824.90%26,494Carbon2,81731.73%6,04668.11%140.16%-3,229-36.37%8,877Daggett24959.57%16940.43%00.00%8019.14%418Davis37,64860.46%24,36239.12%2630.42%13,28621.34%62,273Duchesne3,51867.92%1,64831.81%140.27%1,87036.10%5,180Emery2,21449.65%2,23850.19%70.16%-24-0.54%4,459Garfield98750.85%59048.94%40.21%371.91%1,941Grand2,19165.56%1,14434.23%70.21%1,04731.33%3,342Iron4,82659.06%3,32940.74%170.21%1,49718.32%8,172Juab1,48752.58%1,34047.38%10.04%1475.20%2,828Kane1,41971.02%57928.98%00.00%84042.04%1,998Millard3,26059.72%2,18540.03%140.26%1,07519.69%5,459Morgan1,41558.52%1,00241.44%10.04%41317.08%2,418Piute39051.66%36047.68%50.66%303.97%755Rich61165.70%31633.98%30.32%29531.72%930Salt Lake136,11951.13%128,99548.45%1,1090.42%7,1242.68%266,223San Juan2,25561.46%1,40738.35%70.19%84823.11%3,669Sanpete4,24362.96%2,46936.64%270.40%1,77426.32%6,739Sevier4,25762.20%2,48036.24%1071.56%1,77725.96%6,844Summit2,78349.55%28,1850.18%150.27%-35-0.62%5,616Tooele4,75547.06%5,33052.75%200.20%-575-5.69%10,105Uintah5,79768.47%2,64231.20%280.33%3,15537.26%8,467Utah56,06964.41%30,86135.45%1150.13%25,20828.96%87,045Wasatch2,20558.12%1,58241.70%70.18%62316.42%3,794Washington9,58069.03%4,23930.54%590.43%5,34138.49%13,878Wayne75065.05%38833.65%151.30%36231.40%1,153Weber32,29351.16%30,63148.52%2010.32%1,6622.63%63,125Total351,79255.87%275,66943.78%2,1580.34%76,12312.09%629,619 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Daggett Davis Garfield Grand Iron Juab Kane Millard Piute Rich Salt Lake Sanpete Sevier Wasatch Weber Aftermath In the Little America Hotel, Bangerter was greeted by a large crowd of supporters and with a rendition of the song "Happy Days are Here Again" playing as he took to the stage for a speech, a tune closely related to Franklin Roosevelt's 1932 campaign. Bangerter promised that the democrats would still have a voice in his government, saying "I intend in this assignment to be a governor to all people." A few blocks away, at the Salt Lake Hilton Hotel, Democrats realized they lost their only method to balance power in the Republican controlled legislature. However, it was reported that a spirit of optimism was still in the Hilton.Ogden Standard-Examiner 1984-11-07 Page 1 https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=29502799 2024-08-13 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Bangerter's victory would mark a new Republican dominance in Utah's gubernatorial elections, as a Democrat has not won the seat 2024 from that time up to 2024.Hanson Libbey 2024-02-26 Democrat Brian King's Campaign for Utah Governor - Chronicle https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2024/02/25/brian-king-governor/ 2024-08-13 References Utah Politics Bibliography Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 Washington, D.C. Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998 1-56802-396-0 Congressional Quarterly 1998 1984 Utah Gubernatorial