Spencer Cox

About

Lawyer and politician best known for having become the 18th governor of the state of Utah in 2021. He had previously acted as 8th lieutenant governor of Utah. He is also a former Sanpete County commissioner and the former mayor of Fairview, UT, where he previously served on the city council. He won the 2020 gubernatorial election with a massive 63% to 30% lead over the Democratic nominee, Chris Peterson, and focused his initial efforts in office on more rapidly and efficiently distributing Utah's inventory of the COVID-19 vaccine.  

Before Fame

After completing his mission to Mexico for the Church of the Latter-day Saints and earning an associate's degree from Snow Community College, he went on to graduate from Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in political science. Despite having been accepted to Harvard University Law School, he opted to pursue his Juris Doctor at Washington and Lee University School of Law, which he earned in 2001. He commenced his career working as a law clerk and later becoming vice president of the Centracom telecommunications company. 

Trivia

In March of 2023, he signed the Utah Social Media Regulation Act into law. The bill bans social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram from permitting minors to establish accounts without parental approval. The bill also blocks minors' social media access during specific hours of the day.

Family Life

He is the son of former Sanpete County commissioner and member of the Utah Transportation Commission, Eddie Cox. He has 7 younger siblings. While studying for his associate's degree, he married his high-school sweetheart, Abby. The pair have 4 children and live on a farm in Fairview, UT. One of his brothers-in-law is State Senator Mike McKell. Travis Osmond, the son of musician Merrill Osmond, is also one of his brothers-in-law. His successor in the Utah House of Representatives, John Cox, is his fourth cousin.

Associated With

A moderate Republican, he has endorsed political candidates such as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. When he assumed the office of Utah state governor in January of 2021, he succeeded the previous incumbent Gary Herbert.