Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is expected to win reelection after his surprising endorsement of Trump
Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is expected to easily win reelection in the deeply red state
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is expected to win reelection after his surprising endorsement of Trump
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is expected to easily win reelection in the deeply red state, but his surprising choice to back Donald Trump this year has voters wondering what they should expect over the next four years from a leader they long thought to be a moderate Republican.
Cox is favored to win over Democrat Brian King, a trial lawyer and state representative who served for eight years as Utah’s House minority leader.
The governor also faces conservative write-in candidate Phil Lyman, who urged his supporters to vote for him instead of Cox after losing the Republican primary in June. Lyman's campaign threatens to pull some Republican support away from Cox, but it likely won't be enough to affect the outcome.
While moderate Republicans have historically fared well in Utah’s statewide elections, Cox has recently sought to convince voters that he is more conservative than his record shows.
The governor bewildered voters and political observers when he pledged his support to Trump after the July assassination attempt on the former president. Cox did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020.
Cox’s sudden turnabout has risked his reputation with his moderate voting base while likely doing little to win over followers of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, many of whom booed Cox at the state GOP convention this year.
The governor has dug in his heels in the months since he backed Trump. He reaffirmed his commitment to Trump in September even as the former president faced scrutiny for ramping up rhetoric against immigrants — behavior Cox said he hoped Trump would abandon when he endorsed him in July.
Cox also has appeared with Trump on the campaign trail and at Arlington National Cemetery, where each appearance was ensnared in a controversy. After Trump’s staff had an altercation with a cemetery official, Cox broke rules — and likely federal law — in using a graveside photo with Trump in a campaign fundraising email.
Trump has not in turn endorsed Cox’s bid for a second term in the governor’s office.
Polls statewide open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.