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GOP Presidential Nominee Won't Get Lt. Gov. Cox's Vote

File Photo/KUER News
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says he and his boss, Gov. Gary Herbert, agree about GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump, but Cox won't vote for his party's choice for president.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox has no plans to vote for the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. But he says that hasn’t put him at odds with his boss, Governor Gary Herbert, who’s announced that Donald Trump will get his vote.

“It seems like it’s always one step forward and two steps back,” said Cox, noting that Donald Trump hasn’t evolved into the kind of candidate Cox could vote for.

The lieutenant governor was the guest Monday on RadioWest, where KUER’s Doug Fabrizio asked him if he’s seen the GOP’s presidential nominee change for the better. Cox said not so far, then resisted the suggestion that he and Gary Herbert disagree about Trump.

“How we feel about it is virtually identical,” Cox told Fabrizio. “And I’m not critical of him at all. He’s not critical of me.”

“You’re not crazy for the nominee,” said the RadioWest host.

“Yeah,” Cox responded. “We’re just in a terrible position.”

Herbert and Cox are seeking reelection this year, and they’ve successfully fended off challengers for their own party’s nomination. Now they face Democrats Mike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman in the upcoming election.

The governor announced earlier this month that he will vote for the Republican nominee – largely because he likes Trump’s running mate, fellow Republican Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana. But not Cox.

“It’s put, I think, every Republican and conservative in a very, very difficult situation, a very difficult decision,” Cox said.

Trump has told supporters he’s having a hard time winning over Utah voters. Yet, the web page FiveThirty-Eight.com gives him strong odds of winning Utah’s six electoral votes in November over Democrat Hilary Clinton.

Cox hinted Monday he could change his mind, since the election is 11 weeks away. 

Judy Fahys has reported in Utah for two decades, covering politics, government and business before taking on environmental issues. She loves covering Utah, where petroleum-pipeline spills, the nation’s radioactive legacy and other types of pollution provide endless fodder for stories. Previously, she worked for the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah, and reported on the nation’s capital for States News Service and the Scripps League newspaper chain. She is a longtime member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors. She also spent an academic year as a research fellow in the Knight Science Journalism program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In her spare time, she enjoys being out in the environment, especially hiking, gardening and watercolor painting.
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