Government of Utah
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. 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 the People's Republic of 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. 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 The Governor's Cabinet consists of the following appointees, who are the heads of the agencies listed: Legislative Branch. 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. Leadership Majority (Republican) Leadership Minority (Democratic) Leadership Utah State House of Representatives. Leadership Majority (Republican) Leadership Minority (Democratic) Leadership Judicial Branch. The judicial powers of government are vested in a Supreme Court, district courts, and other courts of record.