Edward Ridley Finch Cox (born October 2, 1946) is an American attorney, politician and the current chairman of the New York Republican State Committee.

[2][citation needed] His father, Howard Ellis Cox, was a decorated World War II aviator, New York lawyer, and Long Island real estate developer.

[12] Cox started his legal career at Cravath Swaine & Moore, and after serving as a general counsel in the Reagan Administration,[13] was a corporate partner in the Donovan Leisure firm and subsequently a member of the management committee and the chairman of the corporate department[14] at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP.

[citation needed] Cox served as a director for 35 years of Noble Energy[16] which is an upstream independent oil and natural gas company.

[17] To attempt to stay in shape, Cox participates in an Olympic-distance triathlon each year, and he swims, bikes and runs whenever possible in preparation.

[21] He has visited with numerous officials, including heads of state or government, in more than 30 countries including China, Russia, Israel, Cuba, England, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

[27][28][29][30][31][32] In 2006, Cox served as the chairman of newly elected Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's environmental and energy transition team.

[42] However, after Pataki endorsed a rival Republican--Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro—for Senate, Cox announced on October 14, 2005, that he was no longer running.