Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has gained widespread attention for his remarks on the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

The Republican has called the violent incident on the campus of Utah Valley University “an attack not just on an individual but on democratic principles.”

Cox also gained traction after telling reporters he was “praying” Kirk’s alleged shooter would be from out-of-state or not a U.S. citizen. 

“For 33 hours, I was praying that if this had to happen here, that it wouldn’t be one of us that somebody drove from another state, somebody came from another country… Sadly, that prayer was not answered the way I hoped for,” Cox said on Friday.

“This cuts to the very foundation of who we are,” he later added. 

The Utah governor has spent years in local and state politics warranting an array of responses to federal emergencies and critical political events.

Here’s what else you should know about Cox. 

Utah governor originally opposed Trump

Cox previously condemned the first administration of President Trump, alleging the leader incited divisive views that further separated a fractured nation.

“We care a lot about decorum. We care about our neighbors. We are a good, kind people,” Cox told CBS News in 2016, after endorsing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s presidential bid. 

“He [Trump] does not represent neither goodness nor kindness,” Cox added.

In 2024, Cox endorsed Trump after an assassination attempt on the leader’s life. 

“Your life was spared. Now, because of that miracle, you have the opportunity to do something that no other person on earth can do right now: unify and save our country,” the Utah governor wrote in a letter to Trump, who was on the campaign trail.

Cox said he intended to help the leader resolve political tensions across the country.

“My commitment to him is I would help him try to lower the temperature in this country,” he told Fox 13.

National Leadership

The Utah governor is in his second term as the state’s leader. From 2023-24, Cox served as chairman of the National Governors’ Association, further fueling his connection to counterparts in neighboring states.

The Utah native has also previously served as a city councilmember, mayor, county commissioner and state legislator before serving as Utah’s lieutenant governor in 2013. Cox was first sworn in as governor on Jan. 4, 2021.

Policy views

Cox is a fiscal conservative who earned recognition from state lawmakers for cutting  $1.1 billion in taxes during his first term in office. 

Under his leadership, Utah became the 17th state to enact a constitutional carry law, permitting individuals to carry a firearm in public without a permit, in 2021.

Cox is pro-life and a strong advocate for the Second Amendment.