Utah gubernatorial election, 1996
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Utah gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1996. Republican nominee and incumbent Governor Michael Leavitt
won the election.
Democrat Jim Bradley
, who had been elected as a Salt Lake County
Commissioner in 1990 and lost re-election in 1994, announced his candidacy on March 18, 1996, the last day for candidates to file. If he had not run, it was likely the Democratic party would not have had a candidate on the ballot.Bernick, Bob, Jr. (19 March 1996). Demos Get Bradley To Step Forward, The Deseret News In a poll released in early April 1996, Bradley trailed Leavitt by 63 points.Bernick, Bob, Jr. (9 April 1996). Jim who? Bradley trailing Leavitt, The Deseret News Leavitt, with high popularity ratings as the incumbent Governor, maintained a formidable lead in subsequent polls as well.
Leavitt and Bradley participated in a televised debate on October 26, 1996 at Brigham Young University
. Winning by the greatest margin in the state's history, Leavitt won every county. Leavitt outspent Bradley four times over in his campaign, and raised over $650,000.
Minor additional candidates in this election included Independent Party candidate Dub Richards, Natural Law Party candidate Robert Lesh, and Ken Larsen of the Independent American Party.
Michael Leavitt
Michael Okerlund Leavitt is an American Republican politician. He served as the the 14th Governor of Utah from 1993 to 2003, as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 2003 to 2005 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2005 to 2009.Leavitt serves as a co-leader of...
won the election.
Democrat Jim Bradley
E. James Bradley
E. James "Jim" Bradley is currently serving as a councilman of Salt Lake County, Utah. He is a member of the Democratic Party.Bradley is a 1984 graduate of the University of Utah....
, who had been elected as a Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
Commissioner in 1990 and lost re-election in 1994, announced his candidacy on March 18, 1996, the last day for candidates to file. If he had not run, it was likely the Democratic party would not have had a candidate on the ballot.Bernick, Bob, Jr. (19 March 1996). Demos Get Bradley To Step Forward, The Deseret News In a poll released in early April 1996, Bradley trailed Leavitt by 63 points.Bernick, Bob, Jr. (9 April 1996). Jim who? Bradley trailing Leavitt, The Deseret News Leavitt, with high popularity ratings as the incumbent Governor, maintained a formidable lead in subsequent polls as well.
Leavitt and Bradley participated in a televised debate on October 26, 1996 at 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...
. Winning by the greatest margin in the state's history, Leavitt won every county. Leavitt outspent Bradley four times over in his campaign, and raised over $650,000.
Minor additional candidates in this election included Independent Party candidate Dub Richards, Natural Law Party candidate Robert Lesh, and Ken Larsen of the Independent American Party.