Spencer Cox (politician)

Spencer James Cox (born July 11, 1975) is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Cox is the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah.

Spencer Cox
8th Lieutenant Governor of Utah
Assumed office
October 16, 2013
GovernorGary Herbert
Preceded byGreg Bell
Member of the Utah House of Representatives
from the 58th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – October 16, 2013
Preceded byStephen Sandstrom
Succeeded byJon Cox
Member of the Sanpete County Commission
from District A[1]
In office
2008–2012
Preceded byDwight Inouye[2]
Succeeded byJon Cox[3]
Personal details
Born (1975-07-11) July 11, 1975
Mount Pleasant, Utah, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Abby Palmer
Children4
EducationSnow College
Utah State University (BA)
Washington and Lee University (JD)
WebsiteGovernment website

Cox was raised in Fairview, Utah. He was appointed to Fairview's city council, and later acted as the city’s mayor. After overseeing rural economic development in Fairview, Cox was elected as a county commissioner for Sanpete County in 2008, and to the Utah House of Representatives in 2012.

In October 2013, Governor Gary Herbert selected Cox to replace Greg Bell as lieutenant governor, and he was confirmed unanimously by the Utah Senate. Cox has announced that he is running for governor in 2020.

Early life and career

Cox was raised in Sanpete County, and 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 also 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), where he obtained his bachelor's degree in political science and Abby obtained her degree in special education.[4] At USU, Cox was named Student of the Year and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. Accepted to Harvard Law School, Cox instead enrolled at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor.[4][5]

After law school, Cox clerked for Judge Ted Stewart of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. Following 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.[6]

Political career

Cox was appointed as a city councilor of Fairview, Utah,[5] and elected mayor the next year. In 2008, he was elected as a Sanpete County commissioner.[4] 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 laws governing campaign finance.[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] His nomination was approved unanimously by the Utah Senate's Government Operations Confirmation Committee on October 15.[9] The next day, he was confirmed unanimously by the full Utah Senate and sworn in.[10] As lieutenant governor, Cox's office 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 release of the report.[11]

On May 14, 2019, Cox announced his intent to seek the Republican nomination for Governor of Utah in 2020.[12]

Political positions

In October 2015, Cox endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican Party nomination in the 2016 presidential primary.[13] After Rubio withdrew, Cox endorsed Ted Cruz in March 2016.[14] Of Donald Trump, the front-runner, Cox said: "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."[15] He said he would not support Trump if he wins 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."[16]

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 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.[17][18] He aimed part of his speech at the "straight community":[19]

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.

Personal life

Cox is the oldest of eight children and grew up on a farm in Fairview.[4] He and his wife, Abby, have four children, and reside on their family farm in Fairview.[5] Cox's father, Eddie, serves 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 how to play the bass.[20] State Representative Mike McKell is also a brother-in-law.[4] Cox's fourth cousin, Jon Cox, succeeded him in the Utah House of Representatives.[21]

References
  1. "Sanpete County Commissioners | Sanpete County". Web.archive.org. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  2. Daily Herald (December 31, 2008). "2008 In Review | Local News". heraldextra.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  3. "Delegates trade one Cox for another for Utah House seat". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 8, 2013. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  4. Gehrke, Robert (October 15, 2013). "How Cox rose from farm boy to lieutenant-governor-in-waiting". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  5. Wells, David (October 8, 2013). "Utah's new Lt. Governor announced". FOX13Now.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  6. Robinson, Doug (June 29, 2014). "Spencer Cox: The lieutenant governor who almost said no". Deseret News. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  7. Gehrke, Robert (October 8, 2013). "Herbert picks state Rep. Spencer Cox as new lieutenant governor". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  8. Roche, Lisa Riley (October 8, 2013). "Gov. Herbert names Rep. Spencer Cox new lieutenant governor". Deseret News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  9. Roche, Lisa Riley (October 15, 2013). "Lt. gov. pick Spencer Cox wins unanimous approval from confirmation committee". Deseret News. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  10. Roche, Lisa Riley (October 16, 2013). "'Shocked' Spencer Cox sworn in as new lieutenant governor". Deseret News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  11. Gehrke, Robert (November 22, 2013). "Swallow resigns, proclaiming innocence: 'Time for the madness to stop'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  12. "Here are the reasons Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says he's running for governor in 2020". Deseret News. May 14, 2019. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  13. Steinbrecher, Lauren; Wells, David (October 19, 2015). "Presidential candidate Marco Rubio visiting Utah Monday". FOX13 Salt Lake City. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  14. Woodruff, Daniel (March 19, 2016). "Utah's Lt. Gov. endorses Ted Cruz, condemns Trump's comments on Romney". KUTV. Archived from the original on June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  15. "Trump's Appeal With Mormons To Be Tested In Utah". CBS Baltimore. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  16. Winslow, Ben; Wells, David (March 16, 2016). "GOP presidential debate in SLC canceled". FOX13 Salt Lake City. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  17. Victor, Daniel (June 16, 2016). "At Vigil for Orlando Victims, Utah Republican Apologizes to L.G.B.T. Community". New York Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  18. McEvers, Kelly (June 15, 2016). "'My Heart Has Changed': Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox Apologizes To LGBT Community". NPR. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  19. "Lt. Gov. Cox speaks at vigil for Orlando: 'My heart has changed' (transcript)". June 14, 2016. Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  20. Clark, Antone (October 15, 2013). "Cox expected to take office as lieutenant governor". Standard-Examiner. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  21. Romboy, Dennis (November 8, 2013). "GOP names Utah House replacement for Spencer Cox — his fourth cousin". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
Utah House of Representatives
Preceded by
Stephen Sandstrom		 Member of the Utah House of Representatives
from the 58th district
2013		 Succeeded by
Jon Cox
Political offices
Preceded by
Greg Bell		 Lieutenant Governor of Utah
2013–present		 Incumbent
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