GOOD! That smarmy little punk Huntsman lost his good will with the voters[The Hill] Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox fended off former Gov. Jon Huntsman in the Republican primary race to succeed Gov. Gary Herbert (R).
Cox prevailed in a crowded June 30 Republican primary with 36.4 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press. Huntsman received 34.6 percent of the vote. Results were out on Monday after the state accounted for a surge in mailed ballots.
A former state representative, Cox has served as Utah's lieutenant governor under Herbert since 2013.
Cox will be the favorite to replace the retiring Herbert, who endorsed his lieutenant governor. The state last elected a Democratic governor in 1980.
Polls had indicated a tight race between Cox and Huntsman ahead of their primary, with Huntsman holding high name recognition from his time as governor and Cox benefiting from incumbency.