SALT LAKE CITY — Former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. released a list Thursday of more than 100 business and community leaders in Utah who are backing him in the June 30 Republican gubernatorial primary, including Zions Bank President Scott Anderson.
“We need Jon Huntsman to lead our state — we need his vision, his leadership and his ability to bring people together if we’re going to tackle what’s ahead of us,” Anderson said in a statement. “Jon Huntsman has changed the landscape of Utah’s economy once before. As a state, we are ready for his leadership again.”
Huntsman, who announced a day earlier he has tested positive for COVID-19, is running for the GOP nomination for governor along with Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes and former Utah GOP Chairman Thomas Wright.
The winner of the primary election will face Democrat Chris Peterson, a University of Utah law professor.
The list of Huntsman’s supporters appears below a statement citing his experience as Utah’s governor from 2004 to 2009, when he stepped down to become U.S. ambassador to China. He also ran for president and most recently served as U.S. ambassador to Russia.
“If you want small ball, little ideas, or a plan to just get back to normal, Jon Huntsman is not your governor. If you want someone with bold ideas, the ability to challenge the status quo, and a big vision of Utah as the Crossroads to the World, there is only one choice,” it says.
In addition to Anderson, the list includes Steve Price, founder of Price Real Estate; Don Salazar, founder, president and CEO of CTI Construction; and former Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone, who lives in Louisiana but has an auto dealership and other businesses in Utah.
“It’s an honor to have so many Utahns using their voice, and their vote, to support our vision,” Huntsman said. “This is a critical election for our state. Utah is an amazing place full of people with vision and hopes. I am grateful to be able to be a part of bringing to reality Utah’s continued success.”
Huntsman was also endorsed this week by the Utah Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police labor organization in Utah.