Utah GOP governor’s primary has Cox, Huntsman in tough fight: reports

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With votes still being counted late Tuesday, the Republican primary in Utah’s governor’s race was still looking too close to call, according to reports.

Current Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox held a slight lead over former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, FOX 13 of Salt Lake City reported.

Cox had about 37 percent of the vote and Huntsman about 34.5 percent, according to the report.

JON HUNTSMAN, NOW RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR OF UTAH, SAYS HE'S TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

“You’ve made us so proud,” Cox told supporters at an Election Night watch party, according to The Deseret News. “We love what you stand for. We love the goodness that has shown through from the very beginning.”

“The early numbers are encouraging but this election will be too close to call until every vote is counted,” Huntsman told the paper in a statement. “That’s the beauty of the American election system. We look forward to tracking the final results over the next several days.”

​​​​​​Jon Huntsman appears at a U.S. Senate committee hearing in Washington, June 17, 2015. (Roll Call)

Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes and former Utah Republican Party chairman Thomas Wright filled out the GOP primary field.

The GOP winner will face Democrat Chris Peterson, a law professor at the University of Utah, in November, FOX 13 reported.

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Utah’s current governor, Republican Gary Herbert, announced last year that he would not seek a third term. He endorsed Cox to succeed him.

Huntsman was Utah’s governor from January 2005 to August 2009. He later served as U.S. ambassador to China under former President Barack Obama and U.S. ambassador to Russia under President Trump, stepping down last October.