Republican Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox Wins Utah Governor’s Race, Calling for Boosted Education Funding in State with Lowest Per-Pupil Spending
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2020鈥檚 KEY EDUCATION VOTES:聽See our full coverage of聽the 46 races that could reshape America鈥檚 schools聽following Election聽Day 鈥� and get the latest updates on state policies and students鈥� challenges during the pandemic by signing up for聽The 74 Newsletter.
Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican who made education and boosting school funding a core tenet of his campaign for governor, claimed victory Tuesday night.
Cox, who鈥檇 been to win in pre-election polling, held of the vote as of early Wednesday morning, with Democratic opponent Chris Peterson, a University of Utah law professor, at 30.8 percent. Republicans have led the state for nearly four decades.
In an acceptance speech late Tuesday, Cox, 45, called for unity and to the state鈥檚 younger population, whom he fears the party is 鈥渓osing鈥� amid deepening partisan divides.
鈥淚 want the young people in this state to know that we care deeply about you and we care deeply about each other,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur policy and our dogma must reflect that deep caring.鈥�
Utah has in the nation for per-pupil spending for more than two decades. Cox has it is 鈥渁bsolutely critical that education funding is our first and foremost priority,鈥� noting on his campaign website that 鈥渁dditional resources mean better teachers, smaller class sizes and more prepared students.鈥�
In line with that thinking, Cox backed Amendment G on to use income tax money on services 鈥渢o support children and to support individuals with a disability.鈥� He鈥檚 also in favor of more technical education investments, and in rural parts of the state.
Reopening planning from late summer most school districts in Utah assumed some form of in-person learning in the fall 鈥斅燽ut reopening hasn鈥檛 been seamless. One high school in September reported 90 cases within two weeks, according to .
Cox, in a break from more conservative Republicans and President Donald Trump who have downplayed the virus, has encouraged the public to socially distance and wear masks. As the head of the state鈥檚 coronavirus task force early on, Cox who decried 鈥渁 loss of civil liberties caused by government mandates.鈥�
2020鈥檚 KEY EDUCATION VOTES:聽See our full coverage of聽the 46 races that could reshape America鈥檚 schools聽following Election聽Day 鈥� and get the latest updates on state policies and students鈥� challenges during the pandemic by signing up for聽The 74 Newsletter.听
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Taylor Swaak is a correspondent at The 74, focused on the coronavirus pandemic, its impact on student learning, and how the Washington, D.C. region is approaching the many urgent challenges caused by the public health emergency.
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