Gov. Gary Herbert speaks into the microphone during his last "Let Me Speak to the Governor" broadcast on KSL NewsRadio, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. Photo: Robynn Garfield
After more than a decade in the governor’s chair, Gov. Gary Herbert is looking to the future as he steps down from office Jan. 4, 2021. During his final segment of KSL’s “Let Me Speak to the Governor,” Herbert reflected on the last eleven and a half years of what he considers great success — and said he looks forward to the next decade.
Herbert has been calling into KSL NewsRadio for its regular “Let Me Speak to the Governor” segments for the past decade, answering questions from Utahns on all things politics or otherwise.
During his final segment Thursday, Herbert said he considers the last decade as governor the “highlight of my life,” and looks forward to Utah’s future.
Doug Wright — who hosted Gov. Herbert’s first-ever segment nearly 10 years ago — asked the governor what he attributes his great success to. The people, he said.
“It does start with the people, we’ve got good people,” Gov. Herbert said. “That’s the heart and soul of why we’re successful.”
Gov. Herbert came into office in 2009, amid “the depths” of the Great Recession. Before that, he served as the lieutenant governor for four and a half years.
Despite the challenges in the first few years of his administration — followed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 — the governor said Utahns rallied together to set goals and come out of the recession with the “best performing economy in America.”
“By golly,” he said. “We did it.”
As he steps down from office and current Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox takes the reins, Gov. Herbert said he looks forward to the continued success he expects from Utah — particularly in terms of the coronavirus response.
“I feel good with where we are with the pandemic,” he said. “I think 2021 is going to be the year of the recovery.”
Listen to the full episode of the final “Let Me Speak to the Governor” here: