UTAH
      Nov. 6, 2012 Governor

Gov.
 Sen. 3
 Sen.1
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+Gary Herbert/Greg Bell (R)
 688,592
 68.41%
Peter Cooke/Vincent Rampton (D)
 277,622
 27.58%
Ken Larsen/J. Robert Latham (L)
 22,611
 2.25%
Kirk Pearson/Tim Aalders (C)
 17,696
 1.76%
write-ins (2)
 3

1,006,524

Registered voters: 1,283,526.  Ballots cast: 1,028,786.
Plurality: 410,970 votes (40.83 percentage points).
 UT Lt. Gov. - Elections



Notes: Gov. Gary Herbert (R), who started his tenure in Aug. 2009 succeeding Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) and was elected in a 2010 special election, won a full term, defeating retired U.S. Army Major Gen. Peter Cooke (D) by more than 40 percentage points; two third party candidates rounded out the field.

Herbert avoided a primary by winning more than 60-percent in the second round at the Utah GOP convention on April 21, 2012.  His strongest challenge came from former state representative and 2010 congressional candidate Morgan Philpot. 

Cooke formally announced his candidacy on Mar. 4, 2012 (>).  On April 21, Utah Democrats nominated Cooke and Rampton at their convention (>).  Cooke served 39 years in the armed forces, retiring from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2009.  He founded PSC Enterprises, LLC, a real estate development company, in 1984 and continues as CEO. He has experience as director of economic development under Gov. Matheson in the early 1980s.   He also ran for Congress in 1978.

Herbert and Cooke debated three times:

Sept. 14 - Utah League of Cities and Towns convention.

Oct. 4 - Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Oct. 11 - Vote Utah 2012 (partnership of public broadcasters) at the University of Utah, broadcast on KUED (1, 2).

FollowTheMoney.org reported that the Herbert campaign received contributions totaling $3.6 million compared to $364,606 for the Cooke campaign (>).
Campaign Managers:
Gary Herbert: Scott Ericson
(Jan. 2012) Northern Utah director to U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, Jan. 2005-Jan. 2012.  Chairman of the Box Elder County Republican Party Apr. 2007-May 2011.  Field director on Rob Bishop for Congress, 2004.  M.S. in human resources from Utah State University, 2012; bachelor's degree in public relations from University of Utah, 2004; A.S. from Snow College, 2002.
Pete Cooke:  Mary Bishop
(July 2012)  Resigned as chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party to manage the campaign, elected chair in Apr. 2011.  Managed a number of campaigns including for Ben McAdams and David Litvack.  Experience includes co-owner with her husband of a janitorial service.


See also:
Lisa Riley Roche.  "No primary for Governor Gary Herbert, wins nomination in second round of voting."  Deseret News, Apr. 21, 2012.







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