Spencer Cox | |
---|---|
18th Governor of Utah | |
Assumed office January 4, 2021 | |
Lieutenant | Deidre Henderson |
Preceded by | Gary Herbert |
Chair of the National Governors Association | |
In office July 14,2023 –July 12,2024 | |
Preceded by | Phil Murphy |
Succeeded by | Jared Polis |
8th Lieutenant Governor of Utah | |
In office October 16,2013 –January 4,2021 | |
Governor | Gary Herbert |
Preceded by | Greg Bell |
Succeeded by | Deidre Henderson |
Member of the UtahHouseofRepresentatives from the 58th district | |
In office January 1,2013 –October 16,2013 | |
Preceded by | Stephen Sandstrom |
Succeeded by | Jon Cox |
Personal details | |
Born | Spencer James Cox July 11,1975 Mount Pleasant,Utah,U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Abby Palmer |
Children | 4 |
Residence | Governor's Mansion |
Education | Snow College (AA) Utah State University (BA) Washington and Lee University (JD) |
Signature | |
Spencer James Cox (born July 11,1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 18th governor of Utah since 2021. A member of the Republican Party,he served as the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah from 2013 to 2021. In Fairview,Utah,where Cox lives and was raised,he was elected to the city council in 2004 and then as mayor in 2005. In 2008,he was elected as a Sanpete County commissioner. [1]
He was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2012. In October 2013,Governor Gary Herbert appointed Cox to replace Greg Bell as lieutenant governor;he was confirmed unanimously by the Utah State Senate. Cox was elected to the lieutenant governorship as Herbert's running mate in 2016,and was elected governor in 2020. He was reelected to a second term in 2024.
Cox was raised in Fairview,Utah;he graduated from North Sanpete High School. He enrolled at Snow College and completed a mission to Mexico for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while he was a student. During that time,he married his high-school sweetheart,Abby,who also graduated from Snow College. After graduating with an associate's degree,he attended Utah State University (USU),graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. [2] At USU,Cox was named Student of the Year and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.
Cox was accepted by Harvard Law School but instead chose to enroll at Washington and Lee University School of Law. He was a member of the Washington and Lee Law Review and graduated in 2001 with a Juris Doctor with honors. [2] [3]
After law school,Cox was a law clerk for judge Ted Stewart of the United States District Court for the District of Utah. After his clerkship,Cox joined Fabian and Clendenin,a Salt Lake City law firm. He returned to rural Utah and became a vice president of Centracom. [4]
Cox was elected as a city councilor of Fairview,Utah in 2004, [3] and mayor the next year. In 2008,he was elected as a Sanpete County commissioner. [5] [6] [2] Cox was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2012 and became the first member to call for the impeachment of John Swallow,the attorney general of Utah,over violations of campaign finance laws. [7] Cox and Lieutenant Governor Bell served as co-chairs of Governor Herbert's Rural Partnership Board. [8]
In October 2013,Herbert selected Cox to succeed Bell as lieutenant governor following Bell's resignation. [8] The Utah Senate's Government Operations Confirmation Committee unanimously approved his nomination on October 15. [9] The next day,the full Utah Senate confirmed him unanimously and he was sworn in. [10] As lieutenant governor,Cox produced a report on Swallow's financial interests,demonstrating that Swallow had failed to properly disclose all of his income and business interests. Swallow resigned before the report's release. [11]
In the 2016 Utah gubernatorial election,Cox was elected to a full term as lieutenant governor as Herbert's running mate. [12] [13]
On May 14,2019,after Herbert announced that he would not seek reelection,Cox announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of Utah in 2020. [14] With 36% of the vote in the primary,he defeated former governor Jon Huntsman Jr.,former Utah GOP chair Thomas Wright,and former Utah House speaker Greg Hughes. [15] In the general election,Cox defeated the Democratic nominee,Chris Peterson,63% to 30%. [16] In a break with tradition,Cox's January 4,2021,inauguration (with precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic) was held at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins,Utah,a small town in Washington County. The stated purpose of this move was to express Cox's desire to be governor for the entire state as opposed to focusing on the Wasatch Front region. [17] Within days of his inauguration,he opened an office on Southern Utah University's Cedar City campus. [18]
Cox said early on that increasing the speed of the state's vaccine distribution was his administration's top priority. As of April 2021,Utah had administered more than 85% of the doses that it has received,according to CDC data. [19] In 2020,during the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah,Cox faced criticism for the state's decision to award millions of dollars in no-bid contracts in the early days of the crisis and for the controversial purchase of an anti-malaria drug as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Cox says he had no role in approving the $800,000 hydroxychloroquine order,which was later canceled. [18] [20]
In July 2022,Cox was elected vice chair of the National Governors Association,succeeding New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy,who was voted chair. [21] In March 2023,Cox signed two bills into law,including the Utah Social Media Regulation Act,which bans social media platforms,such as TikTok,Instagram,and Snapchat,from allowing minors to create accounts without parental consent,and blocks children's access during certain hours. [22] [23] [24]
Cox has vetoed five bills as of 2022,all of which were Republican-backed (Republicans have supermajorities in both of Utah’s state legislative chambers).
Cox's first veto was of a bill sponsored by his brother-in-law,Senator Mike McKell,which sought to regulate the way social media platforms moderate content. [25] Cox also vetoed Senate Bill 187:Local Education Agency Policies Amendments,sponsored by Ronald Winterton;Senate Bill 39:Hemp Regulation Amendments,sponsored by David Hinkins;and House Bill 98:Local Government Building Regulation Amendments,sponsored by Paul Ray. [26] [27] [28]
In March 2022,Cox vetoed House Bill 11:Student Eligibility in Interscholastic Activities,sponsored by Kera Birkeland,which aimed to prevent transgender youth athletes from participating in women's sports. Cox noted that of Utah's 75,000 student athletes,only four were transgender and only one competed in women's sports. [29] The legislature overrode his veto. [30]
Cox is frequently considered a moderate Republican. [31] [32]
In October 2015,Cox endorsed Marco Rubio in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. [33] After Rubio withdrew,Cox endorsed Ted Cruz in March 2016. [34]
Cox said of Donald Trump's campaign,"We care a lot about decorum. We care about our neighbors. We are a good,kind people. He does not represent neither goodness nor kindness." [35] He said he would not support Trump if he won the Republican nomination:"I think he's disingenuous. I think he's dangerous. I think he represents the worst of what our great country stands for... I won't vote for Hillary,but I won't vote for Trump,either." [36]
Cox eventually changed course and said in 2020 that he supported Trump,although he claims not to have voted for Trump in the 2016 or the 2020 presidential election. After the 2021 United States Capitol attack,Cox said that Trump was responsible for inciting the violence and called on him to resign. [37] [38]
On July 14,2024,Cox released a letter endorsing Trump. In it,he wrote of a failed Trump assassination attempt:"I want you to know that I truly believe that God had a hand in saving you...I also hesitate to even imagine what would have happened to our country if your life had not been miraculously spared... Your life was spared. Now,because of that miracle,you have the opportunity to do something that no other person on earth can do right now:unify and save our country." Cox added that he believes that only Trump can unite the citizenry of the U.S. and prevent the country from being torn apart. [39]
Cox identifies himself as pro-life [40] and opposes abortion except in the cases of rape,incest,or life of the mother. [41]
In May 2022,after the leaking of the draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade,Cox expressed support for the decision,but decried the leak,saying,"While we are encouraged and optimistic at the possibility that the abortion law will be left to the duly elected representatives of the states,draft rulings are not actual rulings and leaked drafts are a dangerous violation of court protocol and deliberations." [42]
On June 24,2022,Cox expressed his support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and said:"This administration has been dedicated to giving a voice to the most vulnerable in our society,including the unborn. We wholeheartedly support this Supreme Court ruling and are encouraged to see abortion law will be left to elected state representatives. As pro-life advocates,this administration is equally committed to supporting women and families in Utah. We all need to do more to support mothers,pregnant women,and children facing poverty and trauma." [43]
In March 2023,Cox signed a bill banning abortion clinics from operating in Utah and requiring abortions to be performed in a hospital. [44] The law was issued a temporary injunction by Third District Court Judge Andrew Stone a day before it was to take effect. [45]
Cox opposes the use of the Antiquities Act to create national monuments,saying that he believes monument designations hurt the landscapes they are meant to protect. He has expressed opposition to the restored boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument,and to the creation of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni –Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. [46]
In February 2021,Cox signed a constitutional carry bill to allow individuals to carry a firearm in public without a permit,making Utah the 17th state to do so. [47]
In June 2022,Cox said in a press conference that he was open to discussing a red flag law with the legislature. [48]
On June 13,2016,Cox spoke at a vigil in Salt Lake City honoring those who died in the Orlando nightclub shooting the day before. He surprised many when he apologized for mistreating schoolmates and his lack of support for the LGBTQ community. [49] [50] He aimed part of his speech at the "straight community": [51]
How did you feel when you heard that 49 people had been gunned down by a self-proclaimed terrorist? That’s the easy question. Here is the hard one: Did that feeling change when you found out the shooting was at a gay bar at 2 a.m. in the morning? If that feeling changed, then we are doing something wrong.
Cox has further shown support for the LGBTQ+ community by supporting Governor Herbert's signing an executive order on January 21, 2020, to ban conversion therapy after a bill to do so died in the State Senate in May 2019. [52] [53]
In an April 2021 town hall meeting, Cox announced his personal pronouns are "he", "him", and "his". [54]
In March 2022, Cox vetoed HB11, which would ban transgender youth from participating in high school sports, noting that only four trans kids were playing high school sports in the state at the time. "These kids, they're just trying to stay alive", he said, referring to studies showing that 56% of trans youth have attempted suicide. [55] [56]
On June 1, 2022, Cox became the first Utah governor to recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month when he issued an official proclamation and encouraged Utahns to "be more welcoming and accepting of the LGBTQ community". [57]
On January 28, 2023, Cox signed Senate Bill 16, which bans gender-affirming surgery for patients under 18. [58]
On March 22, 2023, Cox signed HB228, codifying Utah's existing conversion therapy ban, previously approved through a 2020 administrative rule. It was the first conversion therapy ban in the country to pass a state legislature unanimously. [59] [60]
On August 5, 2024, Cox and other state leaders shared misinformation about the female Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz initially posted, "Enough is enough. Men don't belong in women's sports", which Cox shared, adding: "This should never happen to any of our female athletes. They deserve better." At the time of these statements, it had already been confirmed that Khelif was a woman. [61] [62]
Cox is the oldest of eight children and grew up on a farm in Fairview. [2] He and his wife, Abby, have four children, and reside on their family farm in Fairview. [3] Cox's father, Eddie, served on the Utah Transportation Commission and was also a Sanpete County commissioner. [9]
Cox plays bass guitar in a garage band. [7] [9] His brother-in-law, Travis Osmond, the son of Merrill Osmond, taught him to play bass. [63] State Senator Mike McKell is also a brother-in-law. [2] Cox's fourth cousin, Jon Cox, succeeded him in the Utah House of Representatives. [64]
Cox is a fan of the band The Killers and in 2018 recorded a cover of the song "Read My Mind" with his band. At a 2024 campaign event Cox crowd-surfed during a Brandon Flowers performance.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Gary Herbert/Spencer Cox (incumbent) | 750,850 | 66.74% | −1.67% | |
Democratic | Mike Weinholtz/Kim Bowman | 323,349 | 28.74% | +1.16% | |
Libertarian | Brian Kamerath/Barry Short | 34,827 | 3.10% | +0.85% | |
Independent American | Superdell Schanze/Gregory Duerden | 15,912 | 1.41% | N/A | |
Independent | L.S. Brown (write-in) | 97 | 0.01% | N/A | |
Total votes | 1,125,035 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Spencer Cox | 190,565 | 36.15% | |
Republican | Jon Huntsman Jr. | 184,246 | 34.95% | |
Republican | Greg Hughes | 110,835 | 21.02% | |
Republican | Thomas Wright | 41,532 | 7.88% | |
Total votes | 527,178 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Spencer Cox | 918,754 | 62.98% | −3.76% | |
Democratic | Christopher Peterson | 442,754 | 30.35% | +1.61% | |
Libertarian | Daniel Cottam | 51,393 | 3.52% | +0.42% | |
Independent American | Gregory Duerden | 25,810 | 1.77% | +0.36% | |
Write-in | 20,167 | 1.38% | +1.37% | ||
Total votes | 1,458,878 | 100.00% | |||
Republican hold |
The Beehive Flag is the official flag of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a horizontal tricolor with irregular bands of blue, white, and red. The middle white band contains a blue hexagon outlined in gold. Within the hexagon lies a gold-colored beehive, and below it sits a five-pointed white star.
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. is an American businessman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 16th governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the ambassador of the United States to Russia from 2017 to 2019, ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011, and ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993.
The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Utah have significantly evolved in the 21st century. Protective laws have become increasingly enacted since 2014, despite the state's reputation as socially conservative and highly religious. Utah's anti-sodomy law was invalidated in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas, and fully repealed by the state legislature in 2019. Same-sex marriage has been legal since the state's ban was ruled unconstitutional by federal courts in 2014. In addition, statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing, and the use of conversion therapy on minors is prohibited. In spite of this, there are still a few differences between the treatment of LGBTQ people and the rest of the population, and the rights of transgender youth are restricted.
Gary Richard Herbert is an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Utah from 2009 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the National Governors Association during the 2015–2016 cycle.
Gregory Holden Hughes is an American politician who served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives representing District 51 from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2018. Hughes is the former Speaker of the House for the House of Representatives in the state of Utah. He announced that he would not be seeking reelection as Speaker of the House or as a representative in 2018. In 2020, Hughes ran for the office of Governor of Utah. Spencer Cox became the Republican nominee after the Republican primary vote. Hughes ran to replace retiring U.S. Congressman Chris Stewart in the 2023 Utah 2nd congressional district special election, losing the primary to Celeste Maloy.
Christopher Douglas Stewart is an American politician, author, and businessman who served as the U.S. representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district from 2013 until his resignation in 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he is known for his bestsellers Seven Miracles That Saved America and The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World, as well as his series The Great and Terrible.
Jon Cox is an American politician from the state of Utah. He is a member of the Republican Party and served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives until he resigned in 2015 to work as Governor Gary R. Herbert's director of communications.
Sean David Reyes is an American lawyer and politician who has been the Attorney General of Utah since 2013. Appointed to the office by Governor Gary Herbert following the resignation of John Swallow, Reyes was reelected. Reyes is a member of the Republican Party and is a vocal and longtime supporter of Donald Trump. He has served as a county, state, and national delegate for the Republican Party and a member of the Utah Republican Party's State Central Committee.
Daniel McCay is an American politician and a Republican member of the Utah Senate representing District 18. Prior to redistricting he represented District 11. He was in the Utah House of Representatives representing District 41 from 2013 through 2018. McCay was initially appointed by Republican Governor of Utah Gary Herbert to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Carl Wimmer.
Brian Smith King is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 23rd district. Before redistricting following the 2020 census, he represented the 28th district since January 1, 2009. In April 2024, he became the Democratic nominee for the gubernatorial election against Republican incumbent Spencer Cox.
Deidre Marie Henderson is an American politician serving as the ninth lieutenant governor of Utah since January 4, 2021. From 2013 to 2021, she served as member of the Utah State Senate for District 7, which is based in Spanish Fork, Utah.
Aimee Winder Newton is an American politician and member of the Salt Lake County Council representing the 3rd District. On October 23, 2019, Winder Newton announced her candidacy for Governor of Utah in 2020. She was the third female in history to file for Governor in the State of Utah.
The 2016 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Utah, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Utah, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. The primaries took place on June 26.
The 2020 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of Utah. Incumbent Republican governor Gary Herbert declined running for re-election to a third full term.
The 2022 United States Senate election in Utah was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Utah. Incumbent senator Mike Lee, who was first elected in 2010, won re-election to a third term, defeating Evan McMullin, an independent candidate who was endorsed by the Utah Democratic Party.
Kera Birkeland is an American politician, educator, and coach from Utah. She currently serves as the representative for Utah House District 4. She is on the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, House Education Committee, and House Judiciary Committee. Birkeland replaced Logan Wilde in April 2020, and was elected to a full term in 2020, with 64 percent of the vote.
Marlo M. Oaks is an American investment banker and government official serving as the Utah state treasurer. He was appointed to the position by Governor Spencer Cox on June 29, 2021 and succeeded David Damschen.
The 2024 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Governor Spencer Cox won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee, state Representative Brian King and Republican state Representative Phil Lyman, who ran as a write-in candidate after being defeated in the Republican primary. Primary elections took place on June 25, 2024.