Utah Governor Race Results

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Utah Governor Spencer Cox on August 10, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

OAN’s Sophia Flores and Brooke Mallory
6:28 PM – Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Spencer Cox has won the Utah gubernatorial race.

Democrat Brian King faced off against Republican incumbent Spencer Cox in the race to be the next governor of Utah.

Cox has been the governor of Utah since 2021. During his first term in office, Cox cut $1.1 billion in taxes, “implemented landmark changes in water law, water conservation and infrastructure planning, locked in record funding for education and teachers, enacted universal school choice, and secured funds for affordable housing.”

Cox, who was previously a long-time skeptic of Donald Trump, changed his tune and endorsed the former GOP president following the assassination attempt on his life in July.

“I humbly submit that you — and I sincerely mean this — only you — can” unify the country, he wrote in a letter to Trump.

“Mr. President, I know we have some differences and you probably don’t like me much. And that’s OK. I get it. I am not writing this letter looking for a position in your Cabinet or a role on your team,” Cox continued. “But I have loved so many of your policies … [and] I have told everyone that you are going to win the state of Utah and you are going to win the presidency again.”

Prior to running to be governor of the Beehive State, Brian King was the Minority Leader of the Utah House of Representatives.

Hyrum Smith, King’s great-great-grandfather and brother to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is apart of King’s family lineage on his mother’s side.

“Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Democrat makes me a maverick.”

King supports providing more funding to Utah public schools, displaying children’s books that other parents may deem sexually inappropriate, and supporting LGBTQ+ minors in general.

“Our state’s public education system has been chronically underfunded, consistently ranking last or close to last in per-pupil spending… Our current leaders are focused on banning books, targeting LGBTQ kids, and siphoning tens of millions of taxpayer dollars from our public schools for vouchers. We deserve better,” King stated on his campaign website.

King has been actively involved on the boards of the ACLU of Utah and the Rape Recovery Center. From 2015 to 2022, he served as the Leader of the House Minority Caucus.

Compared to other House minority leaders, King had a reputation for being “more combative.”

Some key topics that the Democrat has been passionate about since the start of his career is stricter gun control legislation, developing low income housing, and helping Utah’s environment stay clean.