Gov. Spencer Cox started his second term in office by touting what he called the secret to Utah’s success. It’s not policy choices or elected officials. It’s something a little closer to home.
“If we only measure financial capital, Utah may fall short by many measuring sticks,” he told the inauguration crowd of hundreds at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City. “But you see where we truly shine, and this is the secret to our success, is something a little more obscure, called social capital.”
For Cox, Utah’s habits of volunteerism, charitable giving and tight-knit communities are what have built up the state’s social capital. It’s also propelled it to new heights, including being named the number one state overall by U.S. News & World Report. The future success of the state, he said, hinges on creating more of that social capital.
“Most importantly, social capital is not created by government,” he said. “It is created in our families, our congregations, our neighborhoods, in our volunteer organizations.”
Cox spent a part of his Jan. 8 inaugural address to look back on his first term, saying he and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson set out to “write the next chapter of Utah’s history.”
He highlighted increasing teacher pay, several years of tax cuts, taking on social media companies and securing a second Utah Olympics in 2034 as key accomplishments.
“We have done the hard things, never shying away from the heavy lifts,” he said. “Time and again, Utah has punched above its weight over these last four years.”
Faith, family and community. Utah has it, and the rest of the world is desperately yearning to find it. We must not give up now—when it’s needed more than ever.
— Governor Cox (@GovCox) January 9, 2025
My full inauguration remarks: pic.twitter.com/kUZlQCJGJ4
Looking ahead, the governor wants to find policy solutions that don’t require a choice between saving state resources like water and embracing rapid growth.
“Our focus will continue to be on affordability,” he told reporters following his inaugural address.
“Energy affordability, housing affordability, things that are hurting a large majority of Utahns. We’ll be focusing this session on our elderly population, specifically [those] who have been left behind with soaring prices over the past few years and really the next generation as well.”
Cox pointed to removing unnecessary regulation around issues like housing and working closely with partners at both the state and federal levels to achieve these outcomes.
Henderson echoed those sentiments in her remarks, focusing on what she called “the principle of ‘and.’”
“We have achieved significant accomplishments by embracing big, visionary ideas and focusing on opportunities for individuals,” she said. “We will continue to embrace the ‘and.’”
Cox added their second term will be focused on what they call a “Built Here” strategic plan — also rolled out on inauguration day. It aims to achieve 22 policy goals like enhancing behavioral health infrastructure and increasing homeownership to make the state a better place to live.
Cox also reiterated that he will not seek a third term in 2028.
“One of the reasons I've said I'm not running again is so that you all hold me accountable,” he said. “Because what happens so often is that when people feel like no one else can do these jobs, like we're too important, then we start to make decisions, and we start to be someone we're not.”
Even though he is now essentially a lame-duck governor, Cox said to not expect a drastic change in his approach to the job.
“I've always tried to be my authentic self. I'm not good at being someone else, and so I don't think you'll see many changes from me,” he said. “That's the person I am, and I don't expect that that will change at all.”
In addition to Cox and Henderson, the leaders of the state's other constitutional offices also took their oaths of office during the governor’s inauguration. That included Attorney General Derek Brown, Treasurer Marlo Oaks and Auditor Tina Cannon.
