Jon Huntsman is resigning his ambassadorship ahead of a possible run for office … again.
This time, Huntsman has announced that he’ll depart as ambassador to Russia in early October and return to Utah. Huntsman, a Republican, did not address his future political aspirations, but he’s reportedly spent months considering a 2020 bid for his old job as governor of Utah. Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox is already running in the primary and reaffirmed Tuesday that he wouldn’t defer to Huntsman, saying instead, “If he decides to run for governor again, it would make me a better candidate.”
Several other Republicans have been considering getting in as well, and businessman Spencer Eccles didn’t rule out joining the contest this week. Eccles hails from an influential business family that has been active in Utah since the late 19th Century and is known for their philanthropy.
Eccles (not to be confused with his father and namesake) has a long history of his own in Beehive State public life. In 1997, he was chosen to develop and oversee the downhill events for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. In 2009, Gov. Gary Herbert appointed him to serve as head of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the Deseret News writes that Eccles helped convince a number of major companies to relocate to Utah or expand their operations. Eccles went on to form a private equity firm after leaving the administration.
Eccles was asked on Sunday if he was interested in running for governor and responded that he was “flattered,” though he avoided saying he was looking at the race. Eccles did take the time to badmouth his would-be-primary foes, though, saying he was watching the developing field and was “concerned.”
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