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Spencer Cox
Spencer James Cox (born July 11, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2021 as the 18th governor of Utah. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2013 to 2021 as the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah. 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.
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, which he confirmed would be his last, even though Utah has no term limits on governorships.
Cox was born on July 11, 1975, in Mount Pleasant, Utah. He grew up in the nearby town of Fairview and graduated from North Sanpete High School in Mount Pleasant. He enrolled at Snow College in Ephraim, taking two years off to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. After his mission, he returned to Snow and 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) in Logan, Utah, graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. At USU, Cox was named Student of the Year and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.
Cox was accepted to Harvard Law School but instead chose to attend the 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 degree with honors.
After graduating from law school, Cox was a law clerk to judge Ted Stewart of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah from 2001 to 2002. He then entered private practice as an associate at the Salt Lake City law firm Fabian & Clendenin (now Fabian VanCott). He returned to rural Utah and became a vice president of Centracom.
Cox was elected as a city councilor of Fairview, Utah in 2004, and mayor the next year. In 2008, he was elected as a Sanpete County commissioner. 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. Cox and Lieutenant Governor Bell served as co-chairs of Governor Herbert's Rural Partnership Board.
In October 2013, Herbert selected Cox to succeed Bell as lieutenant governor following Bell's resignation. The Utah Senate's Government Operations Confirmation Committee unanimously approved his nomination on October 15. The next day, the full Utah Senate confirmed him unanimously and he was sworn in. 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. In the 2016 Utah gubernatorial election, Cox was elected to a full term as lieutenant governor as Herbert's running mate.
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. 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. In the general election, Cox defeated the Democratic nominee, Chris Peterson, 63% to 30%. 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. Within days of his inauguration, he opened an office on Southern Utah University's Cedar City campus.
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Spencer Cox
Spencer James Cox (born July 11, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2021 as the 18th governor of Utah. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2013 to 2021 as the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah. 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.
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, which he confirmed would be his last, even though Utah has no term limits on governorships.
Cox was born on July 11, 1975, in Mount Pleasant, Utah. He grew up in the nearby town of Fairview and graduated from North Sanpete High School in Mount Pleasant. He enrolled at Snow College in Ephraim, taking two years off to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. After his mission, he returned to Snow and 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) in Logan, Utah, graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. At USU, Cox was named Student of the Year and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.
Cox was accepted to Harvard Law School but instead chose to attend the 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 degree with honors.
After graduating from law school, Cox was a law clerk to judge Ted Stewart of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah from 2001 to 2002. He then entered private practice as an associate at the Salt Lake City law firm Fabian & Clendenin (now Fabian VanCott). He returned to rural Utah and became a vice president of Centracom.
Cox was elected as a city councilor of Fairview, Utah in 2004, and mayor the next year. In 2008, he was elected as a Sanpete County commissioner. 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. Cox and Lieutenant Governor Bell served as co-chairs of Governor Herbert's Rural Partnership Board.
In October 2013, Herbert selected Cox to succeed Bell as lieutenant governor following Bell's resignation. The Utah Senate's Government Operations Confirmation Committee unanimously approved his nomination on October 15. The next day, the full Utah Senate confirmed him unanimously and he was sworn in. 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. In the 2016 Utah gubernatorial election, Cox was elected to a full term as lieutenant governor as Herbert's running mate.
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. 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. In the general election, Cox defeated the Democratic nominee, Chris Peterson, 63% to 30%. 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. Within days of his inauguration, he opened an office on Southern Utah University's Cedar City campus.
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