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 County results Wells: 50–60% 70–80% 90–100% Moyle : 50–60% 90–100% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Utah |
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The 1900 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1900. Incumbent Republican Heber Manning Wells defeated Democratic nominee James Moyle with 51.98% of the vote.
Heber Manning Wells, the first incumbent governor of the state of Utah, ran and was nominated for a second term at the Republican State Convention on September 4th, 1900. Wells's, and the state Republican's party's platform, mirrored the national Republican platform, lead by incumbent president William McKinley. They praised the president for his policies, toned down the fears of a low money supply, and accused the Democrats for being the true "anti-silver" party for choosing anti-silver vice president, Adlai Stevenson I, even though Stevenson was pro-silver. [1]
On September 7th, the Democrats nominated James Moyle, founder of the Utah Democratic Party, attorney, and territorial house representative, at a rather quiet convention. Moyle was popular with both Mormons and non-Mormons, and the party's platform centered on free-silver, lower tariffs, anti-trust legislation
The campaign heavily centered around the free silver movement, which handed presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan a landslide victory in the state in 1896, as well as labor, trusts, tariffs, and international politics due to the US's conquest of both Cuba and the Philippines.
Campaigning didn't take place until the last few days of the election, October 31st to November 6th, in which Utah newspapers covered dozens of events each day. The Democrats accused Wells of being against free silver, as well as accusing him of wanting to get national bank notes accepted as money, thus ruining silver mining. Republicans accused Democrats of being populist, and just throwing "free silver" around as a way to catch votes. Republicans did not believe free silver would lead to prosperity, but still favored some action in favor of it anyway. Generally, state Republicans did follow many Democratic policies, but claimed they were the ones that actually got said policies passed. [2]
On the topic of the Philippines, Governor Wells praised the work of volunteers who fought in the Philippines in Manti, and claimed for a way to preserve their sacrifice was to vote Republican. State Republicans further capitalized on the issue by holding a rally with both Philippines and Civil war veterans in Salt Lake City. Multiple generals spoke in favor of US expansion in the Philippines, accused Adlai Stevenson I of being a copperhead, and blamed Democrats for being hostile to the nation. Major F.A. Grant was quoted saying, "we ought not to let the tears of the mothers of those boys of ours who died in the Philippines be shed in vain." At the same rally, a black soldier, J Gordon McPherson, made a speech comparing the freeing of African Americans in the Civil War to the liberation of the Cuban people in the Caribbean. However, he claimed that the Filipino people "stabbed their friends in the back" for not wanting to be liberated. State Republicans successfully tied the Civil War and the Philippine issue together for emotional appeal. The Democrats, on the other hand, did not rely heavily on the Philippines issue due to criticisms in the form patriotic pleas, but Moyle still argued against US imperialism in the region as "evil". [3] [4]
On labor, Wells was criticized for vetoing an eight hour work day bill, and state labor organizations refused to back his campaign. He defended himself by stating the bill only affected state and county employees, and that the bill came so late in the session he could not give it proper time to look it over. He also brought up the passage of a similar law that gave miners and smelters eight hour works days, and if another similar bill appeared on his desk, he would sign it. [5] Moyle was reported to have taken the "labor question" for a rally at an opera house in Park City, and gave a speech on why he was for the "working man." [6]
Wells and other Republican candidates would close off their campaigns at a Park City rally at the Dewey Theatre, where he spoke generally on local Issues, as well as giving the "true history" of an early version of an eight hour work law that he vetoed, and reviewed passed Republican legislation. [7] [5] Democrats finished their campaign with a rally in Brigham City, were Moyle was given high remarks by Brigham Henry Roberts. [8]
Governor Wells would go on to defeat Moyle with a near 52% of the vote to his 48%, nearly 4 points; A slight decrease compared to his 5.6 point victory in 1895. His victory, as well as President William McKinley's victory, has been attributed to the well organization and funding of the Utah Republican Party, as well as his position on protective tariffs and support of the conquest of the Philippines. [9]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Heber Manning Wells (incumbent) | 40,209 | 51.98% | ||
| Democratic | James Moyle | 37,152 | 48.02% | ||
| Majority | 3,057 | ||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Wells's second term would involve major legalization, including establishing the School of Mines at the University of Utah and a State Bureau of Statistics, setting standards for dairy products and other foods, and accepting provisions of the federal Carey Act. He would also send the National Guard to Carbon County during the Carbon County Strike upon (false) reports that violence would break out, a costly move that required the state to borrow money, and upset strikers who saw the guard as protecting the company's property, rather than keeping the peace. [11] [12] Moyle would run again for governor in 1904, as would Wells's, but he would loose the Republican primary to John C. Cutler, due to party opposition from a group called the "Federal Bunch." Moyle would loose to him in the general.
Morgan County is a county in northern Utah, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,295. Its county seat and largest city is Morgan. Morgan County is part of the Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT Combined Statistical Area.
Reed Smoot was an American politician, businessman, and apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A Republican who was first elected to the U.S. Senate by the Utah State Legislature in 1902, he served from 1903 to 1933. Smoot is primarily remembered as the co-sponsor of the 1930 Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, which increased almost 900 American import duties. Criticized at the time as having "intensified nationalism all over the world" by Thomas Lamont of J.P. Morgan & Co., Smoot–Hawley is widely regarded as one of the catalysts for the worsening Great Depression.
Jedediah Morgan Grant was a leader and an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was member of the First Council of the Seventy from 1845 to 1854 and served in the First Presidency under church president Brigham Young from 1854 to 1856. He is known for his fiery speeches during the Reformation of 1856, earning the nickname "Brigham's Sledgehammer". Grant is the father of Heber J. Grant, who later served as President of the Church.
Frank Jenne Cannon was the first United States Senator from Utah, who served from 1896 to 1899.
Thomas Kearns was an American mining, banking, railroad, and newspaper magnate. He was a US Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905. Unlike the predominantly Mormon constituents of his state, Senator Kearns was Catholic.
Heber Manning Wells was an American politician and banker who served as the first governor of the State of Utah. Utah gained statehood on January 4, 1896; Wells served as governor from January 6, 1896, until January 2, 1905.
James Henry Moyle was a prominent American politician in Utah and noted as "one of Utah's most distinguished citizens and one of the Nations' able and devoted servants."
The west end of U.S. Route 40 (US-40) is in the U.S. state of Utah at Silver Creek Junction in Silver Summit with Interstate 80. From there it heads southeast through Heber City and east into Colorado on its way to the Mid-Atlantic.
The 1898–99 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1898 and 1899, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.
The 1958 United States Senate election in Utah was held on November 4, 1958.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Utah took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Utah voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 1932 United States presidential election in Utah took place on November 8, 1932, as part of the 1932 United States presidential election. All contemporary forty-eight states took part, and state voters selected four voters to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1898 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1898. Incumbent Republican Governor William A. Richards was a candidate for re-election, but he was defeated for renomination at the Republican convention, which instead nominated DeForest Richards. The Democratic Party joined forces with the Free Silver Republicans to jointly nominate former State Representative Horace C. Alger for Governor. The Populist Party, though reduced in influence from earlier elections, nominated E. B. Viall as its candidate. Though the election was closer than 1894, owing in large part to a dramatic reduction in the share of vote received by the Populist nominee, Roberts defeated Alger by a wide margin.
The 1988 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1988. Republican nominee and incumbent governor Norman H. Bangerter defeated Democratic nominee Ted Wilson and independent Merrill Cook 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.
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.
The 1912 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912. Incumbent Republican William Spry defeated Democratic nominee John Franklin Tolton with 38.17% of the vote against his 32.36% in a four way race, with Progressive nominee Nephi L. Morris winning 21.16% of the vote, and Socialist nominee Homer P. Burt winning 7.89% of the vote.
The 1908 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908. Republican nominee William Spry defeated Democratic nominee Jesse William Knight with 47.45% of the vote.
The 1904 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1904. Republican nominee John Christopher Cutler defeated Democratic nominee James Moyle with 49.97% of the vote.
The 1895 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1895. It was the first gubernatorial election in the state of Utah and it was held before it became a state on the 4 of January, 1896, to set up the machinery for the new state. Republican Heber Manning Wells defeated Democratic nominee John Thomas Caine with 50.32% of the vote. Wells' first term was to run for five years, until the next general election in 1900. Also, Populist Henry W. Lawrence ran but only won 4.95% of the vote.
The 2024 Utah gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Spencer Cox is running for re-election to a second term in office against Democratic state Representative Brian King. Primary elections took place on June 25, 2024.
