His daughter, Abby Huntsman, announced in January 2020 that she would leave her position on "The View" to join his gubernatorial campaign as a senior advisor. On February 7, 2020, Huntsman announced that Provo city mayor Michelle Kaufusi would be his gubernatorial running mate. A poll taken among likely voters in February showed Huntsman leading the race with 32% support, while 31% remain undecided. However, Lt. Governor Spencer Cox ultimately won the primary with 36.4% of the vote against Huntsman's 34.6%.