STATES AND TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES (UTAH).

In this post we will looking at Utah and its territories, Its past and present governors and current House of representative’s members.

INTRODUCTION.

Utah is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its west by Nevada. Utah also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast. Of the fifty U.S. states, Utah is the 13th-largest by area; with a population over three million, it is the 30th-most-populous and 11th-least-densely populated. Urban development is mostly concentrated in two areas: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which is home to roughly two-thirds of the population and includes the capital city, Salt Lake City; and Washington County in the southwest, with more than 180,000 residents. Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin. Utah has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups such as the ancient Puebloans, Navajo and Ute. The Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in the mid-16th century, though the region’s difficult geography and harsh climate made it a peripheral part of New Spain and later Mexico. Even while it was Mexican territory, many of Utah’s earliest settlers were American, particularly Mormons fleeing marginalization and persecution from the United States. Following the Mexican–American War in 1848, the region was annexed by the U.S., becoming part of the Utah Territory, which included what is now Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah’s admission as a state; only after the outlawing of polygamy was it admitted in 1896 as the 45th. People from Utah are known as Utahns. Slightly over half of all Utahns are Mormons, the vast majority of whom are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City; Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular. Utah has a highly diversified economy, with major sectors including transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, and tourism. Utah has been one of the fastest growing states since 2000, with the 2020 U.S. Census confirming the fastest population growth in the nation since 2010. St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005. Utah ranks among the overall best states in metrics such as healthcare, governance, education, and infrastructure. It has the 14th-highest median average income and the least income inequality of any U.S. state. Over time and influenced by climate change, droughts in Utah have been increasing in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Utah’s water security and impacting the state’s economy.

UTAH TERRITORIES.

Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys. It is a rugged and geographically diverse state at the convergence of three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau. Utah covers an area of 84,899 sq mi (219,890 km2). It is one of the Four Corners states and is bordered by Idaho in the north, Wyoming in the north and east, by Colorado in the east, at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast, by Arizona in the south, and by Nevada in the west. Only three U.S. states (Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming) have exclusively latitude and longitude lines as boundaries. One of Utah’s defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the middle of the state’s northern third is the Wasatch Range, which rises to heights of almost 12,000 ft (3,700 m) above sea level. Utah is home to world-renowned ski resorts made popular by light, fluffy snow and winter storms that regularly dump up to three feet of it overnight. In the state’s northeastern section, running east to west, are the Uinta Mountains, which rise to heights of over 13,000 feet (4,000 m). The highest point in the state, Kings Peak, at 13,528 feet (4,123 m), lies within the Uinta Mountains. At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the Wasatch Front, a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. It stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at the south end. Approximately 75 percent of the state’s population lives in this corridor, and population growth is rapid.

LIST OF GOVERNORS OF UTAH.

The area that became Utah was part of the Mexican Cession obtained by the United States on May 19, 1848, in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo following the Mexican–American War.

Governors of the Territory of Utah

On September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, Utah Territory was organized, encompassing roughly the northern half of Deseret. The news did not reach Salt Lake City until January 1851. Governors of the Utah Territory were appointed by the president of the United States, and other than Brigham Young, they were frequently considered carpetbagger patronage appointees. The territory initially consisted of present-day Utah, most of Nevada, and portions of Colorado and Wyoming. On February 28, 1861, the creation of Colorado Territory took land from the eastern side of Utah Territory. Nevada Territory was organized from the western section of Utah Territory on March 2, 1861. Also on that date, Nebraska Territory gained area from the northeastern part of Utah Territory. Nevada Territory gained area from Utah Territory on July 14, 1862, and again on May 5, 1866, after becoming a state. Wyoming Territory was created on July 25, 1868, from Nebraska Territory, taking more area from the northeast corner, giving Utah Territory its final borders.

Portrait	Governor	Took office[note 1]	Left office	Appointed by	Notes
		Brigham Young	February 3, 1851[15]	April 12, 1858	Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
		Alfred Cumming	April 12, 1858[note 2]	May 17, 1861[20]	James Buchanan	[note 3]
		John W. Dawson	December 7, 1861[22]	December 31, 1861[23]	Abraham Lincoln	[note 4]
		Stephen S. Harding	July 7, 1862[24]	June 11, 1863[25]	Abraham Lincoln
		James Duane Doty	June 22, 1863[26]	June 13, 1865[27]	Abraham Lincoln	[note 5]
		Charles Durkee	September 30, 1865[28]	January 9, 1869[29]	Andrew Johnson
		John Shaffer	March 20, 1870[30]	October 31, 1870[31]	Ulysses S. Grant	[note 5]
		Vernon H. Vaughan	October 31, 1870[32]	February 1, 1871[32]	Ulysses S. Grant	[note 6]
		George Lemuel Woods	March 10, 1871[33]	October 13, 1874[34][35]	Ulysses S. Grant
		Samuel Beach Axtell	February 2, 1875[36]	June 8, 1875[37]	Ulysses S. Grant	[note 7]
		George W. Emery	July 3, 1875[39]	January 25, 1880[40]	Ulysses S. Grant
		Eli Houston Murray	February 28, 1880[41]	March 16, 1886[42]	Rutherford B. Hayes
Chester A. Arthur
		Caleb Walton West	May 12, 1886[43]	May 6, 1889[44]	Grover Cleveland
		Arthur Lloyd Thomas	May 6, 1889[44]	May 9, 1893[45]	Benjamin Harrison
		Caleb Walton West	May 9, 1893[45]	January 4, 1896	Grover Cleveland

Governors of the State of Utah

The State of Utah was admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896.

The governor has a four-year term, commencing on the first Monday of the January after an election. The Constitution of Utah originally stated that, should the office of governor be vacant, the power be devolved upon the Secretary of State, but the office of Lieutenant Governor was created in 1976 and a 1980 constitutional amendment added it to the constitution. If the office of governor becomes vacant during the first year of the term, the lieutenant governor becomes governor until the next general election; if it becomes vacant after the first year of the term, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term. The offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket. The Governor of Utah was formerly limited to serving three terms, but all term limit laws were repealed by the Utah Legislature in 2003; Utah is one of the few states where gubernatorial term limits are not determined by the constitution.

Governor	Term of office	Party	Term[note 8]	Previous office	Lt. Governor
1			Heber Manning Wells August 11, 1859 – March 12, 1938 (aged 78)	January 6, 1896 – January 2, 1905	Republican	1	Delegate to the Utah Constitutional Convention (1895)	None
2
2			John Christopher Cutler February 5, 1846 – July 30, 1928 (aged 82)	January 2, 1905 – January 4, 1909	Republican	3	Salt Lake County Clerk (1884-1890)
3			William Spry January 11, 1864 – April 21, 1929 (aged 65)	January 4, 1909 – January 1, 1917	Republican	4	United States Marshal for the District of Utah (1906-1908)
5
4			Simon Bamberger February 27, 1846 – October 6, 1926 (aged 80)	January 1, 1917 – January 3, 1921	Democratic	6	Utah State Senator (1903–1913)
5			Charles R. Mabey October 4, 1877 – April 26, 1959 (aged 81)	January 3, 1921 – January 5, 1925	Republican	7	Utah State Representative (1913–1915)
6			George Dern September 8, 1872 – August 27, 1936 (aged 63)	January 5, 1925 – January 2, 1933	Democratic	8	Utah State Senator (1914–1923)
9
7			Henry H. Blood October 1, 1872 – June 19, 1942 (aged 69)	January 2, 1933 – January 6, 1941	Democratic	10	Chairman, Utah State Road Commission (1925–1932)
11
8			Herbert B. Maw March 11, 1893 – November 17, 1990 (aged 97)	January 6, 1941 – January 3, 1949	Democratic	12	President of the Utah State Senate (1934–1938)
13
9			J. Bracken Lee January 7, 1899 – October 20, 1996 (aged 97)	January 3, 1949 – January 7, 1957	Republican	14	Mayor of Price (1935–1948)
15
10			George Dewey Clyde July 21, 1898 – April 2, 1972 (aged 73)	January 7, 1957 – January 4, 1965	Republican	16	Director, Utah Water and Power Board
17
11			Calvin L. Rampton November 6, 1913 – September 16, 2007 (aged 93)	January 4, 1965 – January 3, 1977	Democratic	18	Davis County Attorney (1938–1940)
19
20		Clyde L. Miller
12			Scott M. Matheson January 8, 1929 – October 7, 1990 (aged 61)	January 3, 1977 – January 7, 1985	Democratic	21	None		David Smith Monson [note 10]
22
13			Norman H. Bangerter January 4, 1933 – April 14, 2015 (aged 82)	January 7, 1985 – January 4, 1993	Republican	23	Utah State Representative (1975–1985)		W. Val Oveson
24
14			Mike Leavitt February 11, 1951 (age 71)	January 4, 1993 – November 5, 2003	Republican	25	Member, Utah State Board of Regents (1989–1992)		Olene Walker
26
27
15			Olene Walker November 15, 1930 – November 28, 2015 (aged 85)	November 5, 2003 – January 3, 2005 [note 11]	Republican	Fourth Lieutenant Governor of Utah (1993–2003)		Gayle McKeachnie
16			Jon Huntsman Jr. March 26, 1960 (age 62)	January 3, 2005 – August 11, 2009	Republican	28	Eleventh United States Ambassador to Singapore (1992–1993)		Gary Herbert
29
17			Gary Herbert May 7, 1947 (age 75)	August 11, 2009 – January 4, 2021	Republican	Sixth Lieutenant Governor of Utah (2005–2009)		Greg Bell (Sept. 1, 2009 – Oct. 16, 2013)
30
Spencer Cox (Oct. 16, 2013 – Jan. 4, 2021)
31
18			Spencer Cox July 11, 1975 (age 47)	January 4, 2021 – Incumbent [note 12]	Republican	32	Eighth Lieutenant Governor of Utah (2013–2021)		Deidre Henderson

MEMBERS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE U.S. HOUSE FROM UTAH.

The following is an alphabetical list of members of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Utah. For chronological tables of members of both houses of the United States Congress from the state (through the present day), see United States congressional delegations from Utah. The list of names should be complete (as of January 3, 2021), but other data may be incomplete. It includes members who have represented both the state and the territory, both past and present.

List of representatives

Representative	Years	Party	District	Notes
Clarence Emir Allen	January 4, 1896 – March 3, 1897	Republican	At-large	Elected in 1895 and took seat upon statehood. Retired.
John M. Bernhisel	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1859	Independent	Territory	Elected in 1850. Re-elected in 1852. Re-elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Lost re-election to Hooper.
March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863	Elected in 1860. Retired.
Rob Bishop	January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2021	Republican	1st	Elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Retired to join Thomas Wright’s gubernatorial ticket.
Reva Beck Bosone	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Lost re-election to Dawson.
Laurence J. Burton	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1971	Republican	1st	Elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
John T. Caine	November 7, 1882 – March 3, 1889	Democratic	Territory	Elected to finish the vacant term. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886.
March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1893	Populist	Re-elected in 1888 as a Populist. Re-elected in 1890. Retired.
Chris Cannon	January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009	Republican	3rd	First elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Lost renomination to Chaffetz.
Frank J. Cannon	March 4, 1895 – January 4, 1896	Republican	Territory	Elected in 1894. Position eliminated on statehood and retired to run for U.S. senator.
George Q. Cannon	March 4, 1873 – April 20, 1882	Republican	Territory	Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880, but the governor appointed Allen G. Campbell. Cannon successfully contested the election, but denied seat by the House after enactment of Edmunds Act.
Jason Chaffetz	January 3, 2009 – June 30, 2017	Republican	3rd	First elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Resigned due to medical reasons.
Don B. Colton	March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1933	Republican	1st	Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost re-election to Murdock.
Merrill Cook	January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Lost renomination to Derek Smith.
John Curtis	November 7, 2017 – Present	Republican	3rd	Elected to finish Chaffetz’s term. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020.
William A. Dawson	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1946. Lost re-election to Bosone.
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1959	Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Lost re-election to King.
Henry Aldous Dixon	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1961	Republican	1st	Elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Retired.
Walter K. Granger	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1953	Democratic	1st	Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Enid Greene	January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1994. Retired.
James V. Hansen	January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2003	Republican	1st	Elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Retired.
William H. Hooper	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861	Democratic	Territory	Elected in 1858. Lost re-election to Bernisel.
March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1873	Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired.
Allan Turner Howe	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1977	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1974. Lost re-election to Marriott.
Joseph Howell	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913	Republican	At-large	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Redistricted to the 1st district.
March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1917	1st	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Retired.
Jacob Johnson	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1912. Lost renomination to Leatherwood.
David S. King	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967	Re-elected in 1964. Lost re-election to Lloyd.
William H. King	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	Democratic	At-large	Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Lost renomination to B. H. Roberts, who was denied seat on grounds of polygamy.
April 2, 1900 – March 3, 1901	Elected to finish Roberts’s term. Lost re-election to Sutherland.
John F. Kinney	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865	Democratic	Territory	Elected in 1862. Retired.
Elmer O. Leatherwood	March 4, 1921 – December 24, 1929	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Died.
Sherman P. Lloyd	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1962. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973	Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Lost re-election to Owens.
Frederick C. Loofbourow	November 4, 1930 – March 3, 1933	Republican	2nd	Elected to finish Leatherwood’s term. Elected the same day to the next term. Lost re-election to Robinson.
Mia Love	January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019	Republican	4th	Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Lost re-election to McAdams.
David Daniel Marriott	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1985	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Retired to run for Governor of Utah.
Jim Matheson	January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 4th district.
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015	4th	Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 2012. Retired.
James Henry Mays	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1921	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Retired.
Ben McAdams	January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021	Democratic	4th	Elected in 2018. Lost re-election to B. Owens.
K. Gunn McKay	January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1981	Democratic	1st	Elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Lost re-election to Hansen.
David Smith Monson	January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987	Republican	2nd	Elected in 1984. Retired.
Blake Moore	January 3, 2021 – Present	Republican	1st	Elected in 2020.
Abe Murdock	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1941	Democratic	1st	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Howard C. Nielson	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1991	Republican	3rd	Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Retired.
Bill Orton	January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997	Democratic	3rd	Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Lost re-election to C. Cannon.
Burgess Owens	January 3, 2021 – Present	Republican	4th	Elected in 2020.
Wayne Owens	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1972. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1993	Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
M. Blaine Peterson	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963	Democratic	1st	Elected in 1960. Lost re-election to Burton.
Joseph L. Rawlins	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895	Democratic	Territory	Elected in 1892. Lost re-election to F.J. Cannon.
J. W. Robinson	March 3, 1933 – January 3, 1947	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1944. Lost re-election to Dawson.
Karen Shepherd	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995	Democratic	2nd	Elected in 1992. Lost re-election to Greene.
Chris Stewart	January 3, 2013 – Present	Republican	2nd	Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020.
Douglas R. Stringfellow	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955	Republican	1st	Elected in 1952. Renominated, but replaced on ballot by Dixon due to personal scandal.
George Sutherland	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	Republican	At-large	Elected in 1900. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Milton H. Welling	March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1921	Democratic	1st	Elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.