1916 Utah gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1916 United States gubernatorial elections.

1916 Utah gubernatorial election

←  1912 November 7, 1916 1920  →

Nominee Simon Bamberger Nephi L. Morris Party Democratic Republican Alliance Progressive Popular vote 78,502 59,522 Percentage 55.12% 41.79%

County results Bamberger:     40–50%     50–60% Morris:     40–50%     50–60%

Governor before election William Spry Republican Elected Governor Simon Bamberger Democratic

The 1916 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916. Democratic nominee Simon Bamberger defeated Republican nominee Nephi L. Morris with 55.12% of the vote. It was the first time a Democrat was elected governor of the state.

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

• Simon Bamberger, Democratic & Progressive ^[a]
• Nephi L. Morris, Republican

Other candidates

• F. M. McHugh, Socialist

Results

1916 Utah gubernatorial election ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Simon Bamberger	78,502 [b]	55.12%	+22.77%
	Republican	Nephi L. Morris	59,522	41.80%	+3.63%
	Socialist	F. M. McHugh	4,391	3.08%	−4.81%
Total votes			142,415	100.00%
Majority			18,980	13.33%
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing	+19.14%

Results by county

County [1] [2]	Simon Bamberger Demcoratic		Nephi L. Morris Republican		F. M. McHugh Socialist		Margin		Total votes cast
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Beaver	1,178	53.57%	963	43.79%	58	2.64%	215	9.78%	2,199
Box Elder	2,612	48.38%	2,759	51.10%	28	0.52%	-147	-2.72%	5,399
Cache	4,866	53.38%	4,198	46.05%	52	0.57%	668	7.33%	9,116
Carbon	1,412	48.61%	1,339	46.09%	154	5.30%	73	2.51%	2,905
Davis	1,925 [c]	50.90%	1,836	48.55%	21	0.56%	89	2.35%	3,782
Duchesne	1,305	51.14%	843	33.03%	404	15.83%	462	18.10%	2,552
Emery	1,244	52.38%	1,049	44.17%	82	3.45%	195	8.21%	2,375
Garfield	704	51.24%	653	47.53%	17	1.24%	51	3.71%	1,374
Grand	293 [d]	53.76%	233	42.75%	19	3.49%	60	11.01%	545
Iron	1,031	49.98%	960	46.53%	72	3.49%	71	3.44%	2,063
Juab	2,105	58.17%	1,391	38.44%	123	3.40%	714	19.73%	3,619
Kane	278	42.90%	356	54.94%	14	2.16%	-78	-12.04%	648
Millard	1,574	49.42%	1,538	48.29%	73	2.29%	36	1.13%	3,185
Morgan	461	48.48%	482	50.68%	8	0.84%	-21	-2.21%	951
Piute	396	53.44%	287	38.73%	58	7.83%	109	14.71%	741
Rich	429	55.07%	350	44.93%	0	0.00%	79	10.14%	779
Salt Lake	29,200	58.62%	18,758	37.65%	1,858	3.73%	10,442	20.96%	49,816
San Juan	336	50.22%	320	47.83%	13	1.94%	16	2.39%	669
Sanpete	3,136 [e]	48.73%	3,222	50.07%	77	1.20%	-86	-1.34%	6,435
Sevier	1,851	48.48%	1,904	49.87%	63	1.65%	-53	-1.39%	3,818
Summit	1,427 [d]	48.80%	1,256	42.95%	241	8.24%	171	5.85%	2,924
Tooele	1,401	50.78%	1,254	45.45%	104	3.77%	147	5.33%	2,759
Uintah	1,340 [f]	59.29%	827	36.59%	93	4.12%	513	22.70%	2,260
Utah	7,899 [g]	57.15%	5,545	40.12%	377	2.73%	2,354	17.03%	13,821
Wasatch	853	49.82%	845	49.36%	14	0.82%	8	0.47%	1,712
Washington	1,185	56.51%	908	43.30%	4	0.19%	277	13.21%	2,097
Wayne	363	57.89%	255	40.67%	9	1.44%	108	17.22%	627
Weber	7,698 [h]	58.12%	5,191	39.20%	355	2.68%	2,507	18.93%	13,244
Total	78,502	55.12%	59,522	41.79%	4,391	3.08%	18,980	13.33%	142,415

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Carbon
• Davis
• Emery
• Garfield
• Grand
• Iron
• Juab
• Piute
• Rich
• Salt Lake
• Summit
• Tooele
• Wasatch
• Wayne
• Weber

Counties that flipped from Progressive to Democratic

• Uintah

Notes

1. The Progressive Party had a separate ballot line in Utah in 1916 but its nominees were the Democratic nominees for all offices.
2. 78,298 on the Democratic ticket and 204 on the Progressive ticket
3. Includes 3 votes on the Progressive ticket.
4. Includes 2 votes on the Progressive ticket.
5. Includes 67 votes on the Progressive ticket.
6. Includes 4 votes on the Progressive ticket.
7. Includes 6 votes on the Progressive ticket.
8. Includes 120 votes on the Progressive ticket.

References

1. Utah State Archives, Abstract of the Returns of an Election held in the State of Utah, Tuesday, November 7th, A.D. 1916 for Presidential Electors, for Representatives in the Sixty-fifth Congress of the United States, for State Officers, and for District Officers in Districts comprising more than one county, and for the Adoption of Rejection of Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of this State.
2. Mattson, David, ed. (1917). Report of the Secretary of State 1915-1916. Salt Lake City: Tribune-Reporter Printing Company. p. 135. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
3. "List of Nominations". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City. November 6, 1916. p. 18. Retrieved December 30, 2025.