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Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s office has asked Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey to stop using a sound bite from a DVD recording of the governor in other campaign materials, Huntsman spokesman Lisa Roskelley said Wednesday.
"The governor is not endorsing anyone in this election," said Roskelley.
The request followed a flurry of calls to Huntsman's office Wednesday after an auto-dial campaign call went out to Ogden residents.
On it, a female voice asks the resident to stand by for a message from Huntsman. The governor, recorded with permission for a campaign DVD, applauds Ogden's success in attracting outdoor recreation companies.
"The progress in Ogden has been tremendous for Utah," the governor says, adding that he is "truly excited to see these high-paying jobs come to Utah."
The recording ends with a female voice urging support for Godfrey in Tuesday's election and ends with "Ogden's future depends on it."
While Huntsman taped the message for the DVD, he also must approve any other uses of his voice in other media, Roskelley said.
The governor was in India on Wednesday, and Roskelley said she didn't know whether he will allow use of his voice in other Godfrey campaign materials. Both she and Godfrey attributed the problem to a misunderstanding.
"We are grateful for the governor's support," said Godfrey. "Apparently, on each different media, they want us to get their buy-off, so we'll do that."
The auto-dial calls, in which a computer calls thousands of phones in minutes, were finished by the time Roskelley spoke with Godfrey.
The mayor said he'll also stop radio advertising that uses the sound bite.
- Kristen Moulton