[3] Heber Wells attended the schools of Salt Lake City, graduated from the University of Utah in 1875 and began a career in banking and local government.

[4] In the general election, he defeated Caine, the Democratic nominee, his former superior in the Salt Lake City recorder's office, and a former territorial Delegate to Congress.

[4] In 1900, Wells named Emma J. McVicker as the state superintendent of public instruction, making her the first woman to hold a high post in Utah's government.

[4] During his second term, Wells backed creation of the School of Mines at the University of Utah and the State Bureau of Statistics, and supported establishing uniform standards for dairy products and other foods.

[4] He also supported implementation of the federal Carey Act, which allowed private companies to create large irrigation systems and profit from the sale of water.

[4] Wells intended to campaign for a seat in the United States Senate for the term beginning in 1905, but agreed to defer to U.S. Representative George Sutherland, who was elected.

[4] Instead, Wells was persuaded to run for another term as governor in 1904, but he lost the Republican nomination to John Christopher Cutler, who won the general election.