SC
Spencer Cox
RepublicanGovernor of Utah| Age | 50 (b. 1975-07-11) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2021-01-01 (~5 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) |
| Education | AA, Snow College; BA in Political Science, Utah State University; JD, Washington and Lee University School of Law |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (law clerk for U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart; associate at Fabian & Clendenin law firm); Vice President and General Counsel, CentraCom Interactive (family telecom business, 2003–2013); farmer |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Mount Pleasant, Utah |
| Languages | English, Spanish (served LDS mission in Mexico) |
| Marital status | married — Abby Palmer Cox |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Kearns Mansion (Governor's Mansion), Salt Lake City, Utah |
Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2004 |
| Previous offices | Fairview City Council Member (2004–2005) · Mayor of Fairview, Utah (2005–2008) · Sanpete County Commissioner (2008–2012) · Utah House of Representatives, District 58 (January–October 2013) · Lieutenant Governor of Utah, 8th (2013–2021) |
| Leadership | Chair, National Governors Association (July 2023–July 2024) · Member, Western Governors' Association |
| Party history | Lifelong Republican; did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016 or 2020 presidential elections; known as a moderate/civil conservative |
| Ideology | Moderate conservative Republican; opposes abortion, supports gun rights; known for bipartisan civility and 'Disagree Better' initiative; did not support Trump in 2016 or 2020 |
| Signature legislation | Six consecutive legislative sessions of tax cuts totaling over $1.5 billion in cumulative tax relief (largest in Utah history) · SB78 Homeless Individuals Protection Amendments (2024) · HB421 – Homeless Services board funding tied to anti-camping enforcement, with HOME Court pilot program (2024) · SB26 and SB27 – Behavioral health licensing reforms and creation of statewide Behavioral Health Commission · Cell phone restrictions in schools (bell-to-bell policy, 2026) · HB530 – Streamlined permitting for critical infrastructure projects (2026) |
Financial
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Real estate, developers, and construction industry (collective) ($1,500,000+ (2024 cycle)) · Reed Hastings (Netflix CEO) ($50,000+ (2024 cycle))
Top industries: Real estate, developers, and construction ($1.5M+) · Banking and finance ($916,194) · Health care ($834,607) · Technology ($732,378) · Energy and mining ($694,967)
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.