FILE - Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. answers a question during a meeting with the Deseret News and KSL editorial boards in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Ravell Call, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Former Ambassador and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will not run for governor as a write-in candidate.
In a statement posted to his wife Mary Kaye Hunstman’s Instagram account, Huntsman said “there won’t be a write-in effort on our part.”
The former governor conceded the Republican primary on July 6 to current Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox.
“While we respect the concerned voices of Utahns from every corner of the political spectrum, our earlier words still hold true — the primary voters have spoken,” Huntsman wrote. “Even the closest of races like ours are subject to rules, and we respect that outcome. While proceeding with a write-in campaign makes for a great theoretical game, it also carries with it the harm of more division in our beloved state that needs to heal, on many fronts. This must come first.”
The deadline to file as a write-in candidate is Monday, Aug. 31.
Read more about the 2020 election in Utah here.