Spencer James Cox (born July 11, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 18th governor of Utah since 2021.

He enrolled at Snow College and completed a mission to Mexico for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while he was a student.

[8] The Utah Senate's Government Operations Confirmation Committee unanimously approved his nomination on October 15.

[16] In a break with tradition, Cox's January 4, 2021, inauguration (with precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic) was held at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins, Utah, a small town in Washington County.

[17] Within days of his inauguration, he opened an office on Southern Utah University's Cedar City campus.

[19] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, Cox faced criticism for the state's decision to award millions of dollars in no-bid contracts in the early days of the crisis and for the controversial purchase of an anti-malaria drug as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

[21] In March 2023, Cox signed two bills into law, including the Utah Social Media Regulation Act, which bans social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, from allowing minors to create accounts without parental consent, and blocks children's access during certain hours.

[22][23][24] Cox has vetoed five bills as of 2022, all of which were Republican-backed (Republicans have supermajorities in both of Utah’s state legislative chambers).

Cox's first veto was of a bill sponsored by his brother-in-law, Senator Mike McKell, which sought to regulate the way social media platforms moderate content.

[26][27][28] In March 2022, Cox vetoed House Bill 11: Student Eligibility in Interscholastic Activities, sponsored by Kera Birkeland, which aimed to prevent transgender youth athletes from participating in women's sports.

After the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Cox said that Trump was responsible for inciting the violence and called on him to resign.

In it, he wrote of a failed Trump assassination attempt: "I want you to know that I truly believe that God had a hand in saving you...I also hesitate to even imagine what would have happened to our country if your life had not been miraculously spared...

"[42] On June 24, 2022, Cox expressed his support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and said: "This administration has been dedicated to giving a voice to the most vulnerable in our society, including the unborn.

We wholeheartedly support this Supreme Court ruling and are encouraged to see abortion law will be left to elected state representatives.

[44] The law was issued a temporary injunction by Third District Court Judge Andrew Stone a day before it was to take effect.

On June 13, 2016, Cox spoke at a vigil in Salt Lake City honoring those who died in the Orlando nightclub shooting the day before.

[49][50] He aimed part of his speech at the "straight community":[51]How did you feel when you heard that 49 people had been gunned down by a self-proclaimed terrorist?

[58] On March 22, 2023, Cox signed HB228, codifying Utah's existing conversion therapy ban, previously approved through a 2020 administrative rule.

[59][60] On August 5, 2024, Cox and other state leaders shared misinformation about the female Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.

Men don't belong in women's sports", which Cox shared, adding: "This should never happen to any of our female athletes.

[3] Cox's father, Eddie, served on the Utah Transportation Commission and was also a Sanpete County commissioner.