Government of Utah

{{Short description|U.S. state government}}

{{Infobox political system|name=Government of Utah|native_name=|image=Seal of Utah.svg|caption=Great Seal of the State of Utah|image_size=160px|type=Presidential republic
Federated state|constitution=Constitution of Utah|legislature=Legislature|legislature_type=Bicameral|legislature_place=Utah State Capitol|upperhouse=Senate|upperhouse_speaker=J. Stuart Adams|upperhouse_speaker_title=President|lowerhouse=House of Representatives|lowerhouse_speaker=Mike Schultz|lowerhouse_speaker_title=Speaker|lowerhouse_appointer=|title_hosag=Governor|current_hosag=Spencer Cox|appointer_hosag=Election|cabinet=Cabinet|cabinet_leader=Governor|cabinet_deputyleader=Lieutenant Governor|cabinet_hq=Utah State Capitol|judiciary=Judiciary of Utah|courts=Courts of Utah|chief_judge=Matthew B. Durrant|court_seat=Scott M. Matheson Courthouse, Salt Lake City|court=Supreme Court}}Utah is a state in the United States of America. Its government consists of a state executive, legislative, and judicial branch, laid forth by the Constitution and law of the State of Utah.

Executive Branch

{{See|List of Governors of Utah|Lieutenant Governor of Utah}}

The executive powers of government are vested in the Governor. The current governor is Spencer Cox, a Republican. Gary Herbert, the previous governor, assumed the governorship on August 11, 2009, following the resignation of Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., who was appointed United States Ambassador to China by President Barack Obama. Herbert was elected for a further four-year term in 2012 and 2016. In 2019, Herbert announced he would not seek a third full term in 2020, and endorsed then-Lieutenant Governor Cox for governor.{{Cite web|last=Roche|first=Lisa Riley|date=May 21, 2020|title=Gov. Herbert formally endorses Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox in governor's race|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/5/21/21265590/republican-gary-herbert-formally-endorses-lt-gov-spencer-cox-in-governors-race-huntsman|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=February 3, 2021|website=Deseret News}} In the 2020 Utah gubernatorial election, Cox was elected governor, after first defeating former Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., former Utah GOP chair Thomas Wright, and former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes in the Republican primary, then defeating Democratic nominee Chris Peterson in the general election.

Officers

class=wikitable

! Office !! Office-holder

GovernorSpencer Cox
Lieutenant GovernorDeidre Henderson
Attorney GeneralSean Reyes
State TreasurerMarlo Oaks
State AuditorJohn Dougall

The Governor's Cabinet consists of the following appointees, who are the heads of the agencies listed:[http://www.utah.gov/governor/appointments/index.html Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080630170613/http://www.utah.gov/governor/appointments/index.html |date=2008-06-30 }}

Legislative Branch

{{See|Utah State Legislature|List of Utah State Legislatures}}

The legislative powers of government are vested in the Senate, House of Representatives and the people. Both the Utah Senate and the Utah House of Representatives have a Republican majority.

=Utah State Senate=

{{Main|Utah State Senate}}

Leadership

  • President: Stuart Adams (R-22)

Majority (Republican) Leadership

Minority (Democratic) Leadership

=Utah State House of Representatives=

{{Main|Utah State House of Representatives}}

Leadership

Majority (Republican) Leadership

Minority (Democratic) Leadership

Judicial Branch

{{See|Utah Supreme Court|Utah District Courts|List of Utah Supreme Court Chief Justices}}

The judicial powers of government are vested in a Supreme Court, district courts, and other courts of record.

=Supreme Court=

class=wikitable

! Office !! Office-holder{{Cite web|url=https://www.utcourts.gov/judgesbios/showGallery.asp?dist=10&ct_type=S|title=Judges' Biographies - Utah Courts}}

Chief JusticeMatthew B. Durrant
Associate Chief JusticeThomas R. Lee
Associate JusticeConstandinos Himonas
Associate JusticeJohn A. Pearce
Associate JusticePaige Petersen

=District Courts=

class=wikitable

! District !! Counties

1Box Elder, Cache, and Rich
2Davis, Morgan, and Weber
3Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele
4Juab, Millard, Utah, and Wasatch
5Beaver, Iron, and Washington
6Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne
7Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan
8Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah

References

{{Utah}}

{{Governments of the United States}}

Utah