Utah’s 2008 Election Results

By Sarah Probasco , 11-05-08

Obama garnering more democratic votes in Utah than any other candidate since 1968, when Hubert Humphrey was on the ticket. 35 percent of the vote went to Obama while 65 percent went to McCain.

The democratic momentum resulted in some upsets in state races. The most prominent was the concession of Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis to Democratic opponent Jay Seegmiller, who was running for the third time. Curtis was the first Speaker to lose a re-election bid in two decades.

Peter Corroon easily won re-election as Salt Lake County mayor and Jani Iwamoto beat incumbent Mark Crockett, giving the Democrats a 5-4 edge on the Salt Lake City Council. Propositions 1 and 2, raising taxes to support the local aviary and zoo passed with comfortable margins.

Senator Chris Buttars, who has been under scrutiny for remarks perceived to be racially insensitive, for trying to introduce “divine design” into Utah’s schools curriculum and for trying to ban high-school gay-straight clubs, won reelection by 1,500 votes.

Republican Governor Huntsman easily won reelection along with Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who is currently being treated for a staph infection related to a motorcycle accident he was involved in last year.

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