Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, Republican for Governor
Spencer Cox was born July 11, 1975, and raised in Fairview, Utah. Cox graduated from Snow College in Ephraim with an associate’s degree and from Utah State University in Logan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Va.
Cox is married to his high school sweetheart, Abby. They have four children and live on their family farm in Fairview. He completed a mission to Mexico for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After serving on the Sanpete County Commission, Cox was elected to the Utah House in 2012. In October 2013, Gov. Gary Herbert selected Cox to become the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah, replacing Greg Bell.
In May 2019, Cox announced his bid for governor and named Republican state Sen. Deidre Henderson of Spanish Fork as his running mate.
Herbert has endorsed Cox for governor.
Cox says the focus of his administration will be on education.
“We need greater accountability from elected officials for education outcomes.”1
The lieutenant governor is a lifelong gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment.
The Republican candidate is anti-abortion: “Spencer opposes abortion, allowing only rare exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother.”
The candidate says his campaign “has always tried to be a voice for the most vulnerable in our society, those facing intergenerational poverty, refugees, the LGBTQ community [and] our multicultural communities —and yes, the unborn.”2
Cox says his administration will emphasize economic development in rural Utah by “installing the first ‘rural chief of staff’ in the governor’s office and promoting the aggressive placement of state jobs in rural areas.”3
Find out more about candidate Cox here.