1964 Utah gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1964 United States gubernatorial elections.

1964 Utah gubernatorial election

←  1960 November 3, 1964 1968  →

Nominee Cal Rampton Mitchell Melich Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 226,956 171,300 Percentage 56.99% 43.01%

County results Rampton:      50–60%     60–70% Melich:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election George Dewey Clyde Republican Elected Governor Cal Rampton Democratic

The 1964 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1964. Democratic nominee Cal Rampton defeated Republican nominee Mitchell Melich with 56.99% of the vote.

Primary election

Primary elections were held on August 11, 1964.

Republican primary

Candidates

• D. James Cannon, former member of Utah House of Representatives
• Mitchell Melich, former member of Utah State Senate

Results

Republican primary results ^{[1] [2]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mitchell Melich	63,108	53.01%
	Republican	D. James Cannon	55,938	46.99%
Total votes			119,046	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Ernest Howard Dean, Speaker of Utah House of Representatives
• Cal Rampton, former Davis County attorney

Results

Democratic primary results ^{[1] [2]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Cal Rampton	57,848	62.66%
	Democratic	Ernest H. Dean	34,470 [a]	37.34%
Total votes			92,318	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Mitchell Melich, Republican
• Cal Rampton, Democratic

Results

1964 Utah gubernatorial election ^{[3] [4]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Cal Rampton	226,956	56.99%	+9.65%
	Republican	Mitchell Melich	171,300	43.01%	−9.65%
Total votes			398,256	100.00%
Majority			55,656	13.97%
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing	+19.30%

Results by county

County [3] [4]	Cal Rampton Demcoratic		Mitchell Melich Republican		Margin		Total votes cast
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Beaver	1,159	58.68%	816	41.32%	343	17.37%	1,975
Box Elder	6,167	51.81%	5,735	48.19%	432	3.63%	11,902
Cache	7,840	48.98%	8,168	51.02%	-328	-2.05%	16,008
Carbon	5,161	66.65%	2,583	33.35%	2,578	33.29%	7,744
Daggett	155	55.76%	123	44.24%	32	11.51%	278
Davis	15,631	54.75%	12,917	45.25%	2,714	9.51%	28,548
Duchesne	1,307	51.42%	1,235	48.58%	72	2.83%	2,542
Emery	1,237	49.01%	1,287	50.99%	-50	-1.98%	2,524
Garfield	730	49.97%	731	50.03%	-1	-0.07%	1,461
Grand	639	28.21%	1,626	71.79%	-987	-43.58%	2,265
Iron	2,180	47.73%	2,387	52.27%	-207	-4.53%	4,567
Juab	1,271	56.97%	960	43.03%	311	13.94%	2,231
Kane	439	39.23%	680	60.77%	-241	-21.54%	1,119
Millard	1,506	44.00%	1,917	56.00%	-411	-12.01%	3,423
Morgan	814	57.98%	590	42.02%	224	15.95%	1,404
Piute	277	44.04%	352	55.96%	-75	-11.92%	629
Rich	357	47.22%	399	52.78%	-42	-5.56%	756
Salt Lake	105,947	58.58%	74,926	41.42%	31,021	17.15%	180,873
San Juan	919	40.20%	1,367	59.80%	-448	-19.60%	2,286
Sanpete	2,570	50.12%	2,558	49.88%	12	0.23%	5,128
Sevier	2,095	46.13%	2,447	53.87%	-352	-7.75%	4,542
Summit	1,515	53.72%	1,305	46.28%	210	7.45%	2,820
Tooele	5,245	68.23%	2,442	31.77%	2,803	36.46%	7,687
Uintah	2,099	46.28%	2,436	53.72%	-337	-7.43%	4,535
Utah	25,281	56.64%	19,350	43.36%	5,931	13.29%	44,631
Wasatch	1,422	55.31%	1,149	44.69%	273	10.62%	2,571
Washington	1,924	45.15%	2,337	54.85%	-413	-9.69%	4,261
Wayne	360	44.50%	449	55.50%	-89	-11.00%	809
Weber	30,709	63.01%	18,028	36.99%	12,681	26.02%	48,737
Total	226,956	56.99%	171,300	43.01%	55,656	13.97%	398,256

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Box Elder
• Davis
• Duchesne
• Morgan
• Salt Lake
• Utah
• Wasatch
• Weber

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Emery
• Garfield
• Millard
• Sevier
• Washington
• Wayne

Notes

1. The printed abstract contains a typo for Dean in San Juan County and thus his statewide total too. The correct figure in the county is 251 and this is listed on both the handwritten statewide abstract and the county return that gives the results by precinct.

References

• Utah portal
• Politics portal

1. Utah State Archives, Abstract of the Returns of the Primary Election held in the State of Utah, Tuesday, August 11, 1964.
2. "Utah Primary Election - Tuesday, August 11, 1964" (PDF). Retrieved December 31, 2025.
3. Utah State Archives, Abstract of the Returns of an Election held in the State of Utah, Tuesday, November 3, 1964.
4. "Abstract of the Returns of an Election held in the State of Utah, Tuesday, November 3, 1964" (PDF). Retrieved December 31, 2025.