Utah’s New Governor Already Preparing To Run

Gary R. Herbert was sworn in Tuesday as Utah’s 17th governor, and with nine months until the state Republican Party convention, he must work quickly to convince delegates he should be their nominee next year.

Utah election law specifies that Herbert must run in a special contest in 2010 to fill out the remainder of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. ’s term. If he wins, Herbert will have to run again in 2012.

Huntsman was confirmed by the Senate Aug. 7 to be U.S. ambassador to China. Herbert, who has served as lieutenant governor, took the oath of office at the state capital about an hour after the Huntsman’s resignation.

Currently, there are no other announced candidates for the slot in either party. But even in a GOP-dominated state which tends to retain politicians in office, open seats can lead to crowded races.

“The clock is ticking because it takes time to get a statewide campaign together,” said Quin Monson, associate director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University.

Some high-profile Republican names are being tossed around, including two state senators, John Valentine and Steve Urquhart, House Speaker David Clark, and Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. Jowers said he could make a decision by Labor Day.

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