Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox to run for governor of Utah in 2020
(KUTV) — Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox announced on Tuesday that he will run for Utah governor in 2020.
"We're excited to announce today that we are going to run for governor in the state of Utah," Cox said. “Serving as lieutenant governor during one of the most successful periods in state history has provided me with the knowledge and experience necessary to sustain our prosperity and take full advantage of important opportunities ahead.”
Cox broke the news on Twitter, saying he and his wife Abby "decided to run for governor" and will seek the Republican nomination.
“We love Utah and serving the people of Utah, but the toxicity of campaigning made this a difficult decision for our family,” Abby stated in a press release. “Too many good people won’t run for office because campaigns have become too destructive, and we want to show it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Utah's current lieutenant governor asked his follows to visit his website votecox.com "to join the team and donate." Cox says he'll focus on education, transportation, water, air quality and housing, if he's elected.
“Our campaign will be different because we refuse to let this journey change who we are,” Cox stated in a press release. “Rather than showing contempt for others to get ahead, we will discuss solutions to position Utah for transformative achievements in education, transportation, water, air quality, housing and more. We are confident we will be successful, but our campaign will be a force for good regardless of the outcome. I invite every candidate to also hold themselves to this same standard.”
Gov. Gary Herbert released the following statement after Cox's announcement:
“Jeanette and I are excited to see the Lieutenant Governor and his lovely wife Abby make this decision. We sincerely wish them well and hope for their success.”
Utahpolicy.com released a poll in April that showed Cox is the front runner for the governor race in 2020
Cox recently appeared at several events and has been involved with several projects across the state, including: the Golden Spike anniversary, Utah’s first autonomous shuttle debut, new effort for permanent housing for the homeless and more. During his time as lieutenant governor, Cox has advocated for additional resources for students struggling with mental health and has coordinated efforts with multiple state agencies to reduce intergenerational poverty.
Cox was sworn in as Utah’s 8th lieutenant governor on October 16, 2013. He serves on 20 committees and commissions, chairing 12 of them.
He started his political career as a city council man in 2014, county commissioner and representative in the Utah House of Representatives. According to Cox’s bio on Utah.gov, he was born and raised in Fairview. He and his wife Abbie are the parents of four children.
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