Gary R. Herbert
Encyclopedia
Gary Richard Herbert is the 17th and current Governor of the U.S. state
of Utah
. Having served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Utah
from 2005 to 2009, he assumed the governorship on August 11, 2009, following the resignation of Jon Huntsman, who was appointed United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China
by President
Barack Obama
. Governor Herbert was elected to his own term of office in a 2010 Special Election in Utah, defeating his opponent 65%-31%.
, later being adopted by his stepfather, Duane Barlow Herbert. Governor Herbert grew up in Orem, Utah
. He graduated from Orem High School
, served a two year mission for the LDS Church in the Eastern States Mission and later attended Brigham Young University
, but did not graduate.
He is married to Jeanette Snelson Herbert; they have six children and thirteen grandchildren.
Herbert served for six years as a member of the Utah Army National Guard
, becoming a staff sergeant. Following his time in the National Guard, he set up a real estate firm, Herbert and Associates Realtors, as well as a child care service, The Kids Connection.
. During his time as a commissioner, Herbert also served as president of the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah Association of Realtors.
nomination for Governor of Utah. In April 2004, a month before the state convention at which the gubernatorial nominee would be selected, Herbert joined forces with then-rival Jon Huntsman, becoming the latter's running mate
. The Huntsman-Herbert ticket defeated incumbent governor Olene Walker at the convention, before going on to win in the November election
. Herbert subsequently became Lieutenant Governor.
During his time as Lieutenant Governor, Herbert also served as the chairman of 13 statewide commissions, including the Commission on Volunteers and the Commission on Civic and Character Education and the Emergency Management Administrative Council.
convention. The Republican ticket was re-elected to office with a record 77 percent of the vote.
. As the Republican gubernatorial nominee in the 2010 special election, he defeated his Democratic opponent.
On August 27, 2009, Herbert indicated at a news conference that he did not support making sexual orientation a legally protected class, saying: "We don't have to have a rule for everybody to do the right thing. We ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do and we don't have to have a law that punishes us if we don't."
The gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah
, which seeks to expand anti-discrimination laws to cover gay people, criticised Herbert's statements and expressed the view that he did not fully comprehend the challenges faced by gay people in Utah.
In September 2010, KSL TV reported another instance of Herbert accepting campaign donations from companies who benefited from state contracts related to the I-15 CORE rebuild in Utah County—the state's biggest ever road project. Three teams vied for the contract. One gave the governor's campaign no money, another gave $35,000. The third team, Provo River Constructors, gave Herbert's campaign much more. Wadsworth Brothers Construction and partners Ames, Ralph Wadsworth and Fluor have contributed more than $80,000. Around the time most of those donations came in Guy Wadsworth got two meetings with the governor, apparently something no other bidding team had. A month later, the state awarded the $1.725 billion contract to Provo River.
KSL TV also reported that Herbert had meetings with, and received donations from Fred Lampropoulos, CEO of Merit Medical, months before the Governor’s Office of Economic Development awarded a tax break to Merit to expand its business in Utah.
Merit gave separate $25,000 checks to the Herbert campaign on November 2, 2009, and January 21, 2010, and Herbert and Lampropoulos met in October 2009. In December 2009, Merit got $4.4 million in tax credits. Lampropoulos has publicly endorsed Herbert and appears in a television commercial supporting Herbert's reelection bid.
’s campaign, questioned whether this was related to a $87,500 donation made by PRC to Herbert's campaign. In a press conference on the same day, Herbert denied any knowledge of the $13,000,000 payoff to FSZ. However, on September 21, 2010 ABC4 reported that on September 9 four days before Herbert press conference UDOT informed Jason Perry, the Governor's Chief of Staff of a payment. On September 13, hours before Herbert's press conference, UDOT again informed Perry of a payoff and also specified the amount of the payment.
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U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Having served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Lieutenant Governor of Utah
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Utah was created in 1975. There have only been seven Lieutenant Governors in Utah's history. Prior to the creation of the Lieutenant Governor's office, the succession to the Governorship of Utah was held by the Utah Secretary of State...
from 2005 to 2009, he assumed the governorship on August 11, 2009, following the resignation of Jon Huntsman, who was appointed United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
by President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Governor Herbert was elected to his own term of office in a 2010 Special Election in Utah, defeating his opponent 65%-31%.
Early life, education and career
Herbert was born to Paul and Carol Peters in American ForkAmerican Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
, later being adopted by his stepfather, Duane Barlow Herbert. Governor Herbert grew up in Orem, Utah
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
. He graduated from Orem High School
Orem High School
Orem High School is a high school located in Orem, Utah, part of Alpine School District. It was built originally in 1956 and has since undergone major renovations...
, served a two year mission for the LDS Church in the Eastern States Mission and later attended Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, but did not graduate.
He is married to Jeanette Snelson Herbert; they have six children and thirteen grandchildren.
Herbert served for six years as a member of the Utah Army National Guard
Utah Army National Guard
The Utah National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
, becoming a staff sergeant. Following his time in the National Guard, he set up a real estate firm, Herbert and Associates Realtors, as well as a child care service, The Kids Connection.
Utah County Commission
Between 1990 and 2004, Herbert served as a commissioner on the Utah County CommissionUtah County, Utah
Utah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
. During his time as a commissioner, Herbert also served as president of the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah Association of Realtors.
2004 election
In November 2003, Herbert began campaigning for the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for Governor of Utah. In April 2004, a month before the state convention at which the gubernatorial nominee would be selected, Herbert joined forces with then-rival Jon Huntsman, becoming the latter's running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
. The Huntsman-Herbert ticket defeated incumbent governor Olene Walker at the convention, before going on to win in the November election
Utah gubernatorial election, 2004
The Utah gubernatorial election in 2004 took place November 2, 2004. The Republican nominee was businessman Jon Huntsman, Jr.. The Democratic was son of former Utah governor Scott Matheson and brother of current US Representative Jim Matheson, Scott Matheson, Jr.. Huntsman won the election,...
. Herbert subsequently became Lieutenant Governor.
Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Herbert's central role as lieutenant governor was running the state electoral office and managing the campaign disclosure system. His record on those responsibilities was somewhat mixed, improving standards marginally but seeing the state slip overall on nationwide rankings published by the Campaign Disclosure Project. Moreover, Herbert's office was criticised for failing to enforce campaign disclosure laws more vigorously. In 2007, Herbert oversaw the first statewide voter referendum to take place since the creation of the Lieutenant Governor's post.During his time as Lieutenant Governor, Herbert also served as the chairman of 13 statewide commissions, including the Commission on Volunteers and the Commission on Civic and Character Education and the Emergency Management Administrative Council.
2008 election
Huntsman and Herbert faced little opposition during their 2008 campaign for re-election, avoiding a primary election after achieving a plurality of votes at the state Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
convention. The Republican ticket was re-elected to office with a record 77 percent of the vote.
Governor of Utah
Herbert became Governor of Utah on August 11, 2009, following the resignation of Governor Jon Huntsman to become Ambassador to ChinaUnited States Ambassador to China
The United States Ambassador to China is the chief American diplomat to People's Republic of China . The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as Commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia. Commissioners represented the United States in...
. As the Republican gubernatorial nominee in the 2010 special election, he defeated his Democratic opponent.
Gay rights
Salt Lake City has passed a non-discrimination ordinance which would protect gay and lesbian people from discrimination in employment and housing. A member of the Utah Legislature has indicated he would seek a statewide law to prevent cities from passing ordinances related to civil rights. As a strong supporter of local control, Herbert has said he believes municipalities should have the right to pass rules and ordinances absent state interference.On August 27, 2009, Herbert indicated at a news conference that he did not support making sexual orientation a legally protected class, saying: "We don't have to have a rule for everybody to do the right thing. We ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do and we don't have to have a law that punishes us if we don't."
The gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah
Equality Utah
Equality Utah is an American non-profit 501 organization which is Utah's largest LGBT-rights equality group based in Salt Lake City, Utah.-Background:It was founded in 2001 as Unity Utah and took its present name in 2004....
, which seeks to expand anti-discrimination laws to cover gay people, criticised Herbert's statements and expressed the view that he did not fully comprehend the challenges faced by gay people in Utah.
Education
As of December 1, 2009, the Utah State Governor's website showed that Herbert listed "public and higher education" as one of four "priorities." (The other three listed priorities were "economic development," "energy security," and "infrastructure"). The Governor's site explained that Utah must improve its public education system to remain competitive and to empower its individual citizens to succeed, and the site said that "attracting and retaining the best teachers into our schools" was a way Utah could accomplish educational excellence.Campaign contributions
In February 2010, The Deseret News reported that Herbert's campaign had received a $10,000 donation from Alton Coal Development, a coal company that had complained about delays in regulators issuing a permit for strip-mining. The Associated Press reported that a memorandum they had obtained showed that state regulators later agreed to fast-track a decision regarding the permit, despite environmental concerns from local residents. According to a businessman who lives near the proposed mine, regulators arrived within days of a meeting between Herbert and the coal company, and they felt pressure to make a quick decision. A Utah regulator said that this was not the case and that Herbert did not make any orders about whether to issue a permit. A spokeswoman for Herbert said that he was not aware of the donation, and that given his long-term support of the energy industry, it was not surprising that Alton made a donation.In September 2010, KSL TV reported another instance of Herbert accepting campaign donations from companies who benefited from state contracts related to the I-15 CORE rebuild in Utah County—the state's biggest ever road project. Three teams vied for the contract. One gave the governor's campaign no money, another gave $35,000. The third team, Provo River Constructors, gave Herbert's campaign much more. Wadsworth Brothers Construction and partners Ames, Ralph Wadsworth and Fluor have contributed more than $80,000. Around the time most of those donations came in Guy Wadsworth got two meetings with the governor, apparently something no other bidding team had. A month later, the state awarded the $1.725 billion contract to Provo River.
KSL TV also reported that Herbert had meetings with, and received donations from Fred Lampropoulos, CEO of Merit Medical, months before the Governor’s Office of Economic Development awarded a tax break to Merit to expand its business in Utah.
Merit gave separate $25,000 checks to the Herbert campaign on November 2, 2009, and January 21, 2010, and Herbert and Lampropoulos met in October 2009. In December 2009, Merit got $4.4 million in tax credits. Lampropoulos has publicly endorsed Herbert and appears in a television commercial supporting Herbert's reelection bid.
UDOT's $13,000,000 payment to second place finisher in highway bidding
On September 13, 2010, Utah Department of Transportation admitted to paying $13,000,000 to prevent a lawsuit by the second-place finisher Flatiron/Skanska/Zachry (FSZ) for the Interstate 15 rebuild project in Utah County. UDOT admitted that after “adjustments” were made to the scoring system, the 1.7 billion dollar contract was awarded to Provo River Constructors (PRC) after winning the bidding process by a single point. UDOT claimed the $13,000,000 payment to FSZ was to avoid any further or pending legal action. Peter CorroonPeter Corroon
Peter Maitland Corroon is the current mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah, and a member of the Democratic Party. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in the Utah gubernatorial election, 2010, losing to Gary Herbert by a 33 point margin...
’s campaign, questioned whether this was related to a $87,500 donation made by PRC to Herbert's campaign. In a press conference on the same day, Herbert denied any knowledge of the $13,000,000 payoff to FSZ. However, on September 21, 2010 ABC4 reported that on September 9 four days before Herbert press conference UDOT informed Jason Perry, the Governor's Chief of Staff of a payment. On September 13, hours before Herbert's press conference, UDOT again informed Perry of a payoff and also specified the amount of the payment.
Governor signs House Bill 477
During the 2011 legislative session, Herbert signed into law House Bill 477 after it passed through the legislature in three days. The bill would have drastically reduced the ability of citizens to access public records, especially records of Legislators. After large public outcry, Herbert announced he would sign the bill yet also call a special session to repeal the new law. The law was repealed two weeks later, and Herbert was criticized for costing the state $30,000 for not simply vetoing the bill when he first had a chance.External links
- Utah Governor website
- Campaign contributions for Jon Huntsman and Gary Herbert (2004, 2006) at FollowTheMoney.org
- LG Herbert's "Leave Your Print" campaign
- LG Herbert's "Be Ready Utah" campaign
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