During all this time, Bamberger had also been getting increasingly involved with politics.
He began on the local level, serving on the Salt Lake City Board of Education between 1898 and 1903.
A firm believer in universal, free and public education, Bamberger at one point donated some of his own money in order to keep the public school system solvent.
In 1902, he ran for the Utah State Senate as a progressively-oriented Democrat, and won re-election repeatedly.
During his time in the legislature, he obtained a reputation as a witty man with a marked capability for achieving substantive results.

In 1912, however, Bamberger was defeated for re-election to the state senate.
Four years later, he briefly contemplated running for the United States Senate, since popular election of senators had recently been introduced by means of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913.
Instead, he opted to run for Governor.

Being Jewish, as it turned out, was not a fatal handicap for Bamberger, but at first wasn't exactly an asset, either.
An anti-Semitic flyer bearing a caricature depicting Bamberger with an exaggerated large nose circulated widely, although eventually a majority of leading citizens publicly condemned it.
Then the tide turned in Bamberger's favor, thanks in no small degree to his wit and humor.
When making a campaign stop at a community of Norwegian immigrants who had converted to Mormonism, Bamberger initially encountered some resistance from the town's leader, who declared that the community wouldn't deign to consider any "damned Gentile." (
At the time, some Mormons referred to all non-Mormons as "Gentiles," regardless of their religion.
See Mormonism and Judaism for more details.)
Without missing a beat, Bamberger answered, "As a Jew, I've been called many a bad name, but this is the first time in my life that I've been called a 'damned Gentile'!"
The Norwegian Mormons then embraced Bamberger, declaring him to be an "Israelite."
This way of perceiving Bamberger began to spread statewide, putting anti-Semitism out of the equation altogether.

During the election campaign, Brigham H. Roberts, a member of  The Council of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), threw his support to Bamberger and called for an end to selecting candidates on the basis of church affiliation.
In the primary election, Bamberger defeated Alfred W. McCune, a mine owner.
In the general election, the Republican opponent, Nephi L. Morris, made Prohibition the focal point of his campaign; but Bamberger, himself a teetotaler, won easily after pledging unequivocally that he would sign a Prohibition bill.
During all this time, Bamberger had also been getting increasingly involved with politics. He began on the local level, serving on the Salt Lake City Board of Education between 1898 and 1903. A firm believer in universal, free and public education, Bamberger at one point donated some of his own money in order to keep the public school system solvent. In 1902, he ran for the Utah State Senate as a progressively-oriented Democrat, and won re-election repeatedly. During his time in the legislature, he obtained a reputation as a witty man with a marked capability for achieving substantive results.
In 1912, however, Bamberger was defeated for re-election to the state senate. Four years later, he briefly contemplated running for the United States Senate, since popular election of senators had recently been introduced by means of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913. Instead, he opted to run for Governor.
Being Jewish, as it turned out, was not a fatal handicap for Bamberger, but at first wasn't exactly an asset, either. An anti-Semitic flyer bearing a caricature depicting Bamberger with an exaggerated large nose circulated widely, although eventually a majority of leading citizens publicly condemned it. Then the tide turned in Bamberger's favor, thanks in no small degree to his wit and humor. When making a campaign stop at a community of Norwegian immigrants who had converted to Mormonism, Bamberger initially encountered some resistance from the town's leader, who declared that the community wouldn't deign to consider any "damned Gentile." (At the time, some Mormons referred to all non-Mormons as "Gentiles," regardless of their religion. See Mormonism and Judaism for more details.) Without missing a beat, Bamberger answered, "As a Jew, I've been called many a bad name, but this is the first time in my life that I've been called a 'damned Gentile'!" The Norwegian Mormons then embraced Bamberger, declaring him to be an "Israelite." This way of perceiving Bamberger began to spread statewide, putting anti-Semitism out of the equation altogether.
During the election campaign, Brigham H. Roberts, a member of  The Council of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), threw his support to Bamberger and called for an end to selecting candidates on the basis of church affiliation. In the primary election, Bamberger defeated Alfred W. McCune, a mine owner. In the general election, the Republican opponent, Nephi L. Morris, made Prohibition the focal point of his campaign; but Bamberger, himself a teetotaler, won easily after pledging unequivocally that he would sign a Prohibition bill.
Simon Bamberger