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.
State of Deseret A constitutional convention was convened in
Salt Lake City on March 8, 1849, to work on a proposal for federal recognition of a state or territory. The convention resulted in the provisional
State of Deseret. Deseret claimed most of present-day Utah,
Nevada and
Arizona, with parts of
California,
Colorado,
Idaho,
New Mexico,
Oregon, and
Wyoming.
Brigham Young was elected governor on March 12, 1849, and the legislature first met on July 2, 1849. The state, having never been recognized by the federal government, was formally dissolved on April 5, 1851, several months after word of the creation of Utah Territory reached Salt Lake City.
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.
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 The Governor of Utah was formerly limited to serving three terms, but all term limit laws were repealed by the Utah Legislature in 2003; Utah is one of the few states where gubernatorial term limits are not determined by the constitution. ==Timeline==