Govern with care and virtue. That was the theme Gov. Spencer Cox returned to throughout his 2026 State of the State address.
Cox began by giving a history lesson on American politics, all the while hitting highlights of his budget proposal. In between anecdotes about past presidents like Calvin Coolidge and Thomas Jefferson, and founding father Benjamin Franklin, he weaved in his political priorities on education, housing, homelessness and regulating social media.
However, Cox repeatedly returned to the theme of virtue and governance, nodding to the ever-growing political divide across the country.
“None of us are immune to these feelings of pessimism or despair,” he said.
Cox did not directly reference any specific divisive topics like Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, the Epstein files or President Donald Trump’s public and personal attacks on those who oppose him. However, the governor did say “dark clouds are building all around us.”
Overall, though, the governor’s tone was largely positive.
“This country has delivered prosperity at a scale never before seen, has become the global center of innovation, has built the world’s most powerful military, and has exported its culture around the world.”
As he has done in the past, the almost 30-minute speech was a love letter to Utah, and he made several references to the state as an example for the rest of the country. He described The Beehive State as the nation's “greatest success story” despite being built in a desert. He reminded lawmakers of Utah’s rank as “number one state in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report” three years in a row.
He urged lawmakers to govern with a deeper faith in the “people,” and once again pleaded for them to reduce the number of bills they propose each year.
“We will never solve all our challenges with more laws,” he said. “This great experiment in self-government demands more self-government.”
Among the political issues that face Utah, Cox emphasized the damage done by social media, the challenges of homelessness and the ever-rising costs of housing. On the last point, he acknowledged that Utahns were doing everything right, but still felt like they couldn’t get their own place. He made the firm pledge that “Utah will not become a state of renters.”
“We must pull every lever to increase the supply of housing — reform zoning, streamline permitting, support infrastructure, and encourage innovation. If we want strong, stable, connected communities throughout Utah, we have to build more homes. That means less government, not more,” he said.
On homelessness, Cox said he wants to make Utah the worst place to live on the street but the best place to find help. He listed addiction problems, mental illness and the spread of fentanyl as the key challenges. Advocates, though, worry about funding for local programs as the state looks to align with Trump administration policies.
When it came to social media, he hailed Sen. Lincoln Fillmore and Rep. Doug Welton for their proposed bell-to-bell phone ban (SB69) in all Utah schools, claiming that social media companies’ actions are “tyranny over the minds of our children.”
After his address, Senate President Stuart Adams described the governor’s speech as showcasing that “Utah’s strength is built on its character.”
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla and House Minority Leader Angela Romero gave the Democratic response. In it, they echoed many of the same sentiments about the importance of good governance and education with several references to Utah history.
“Good governance is about trust. It's about people knowing their voices matter and the government works for them,” Escamilla said.
But one thing the two liberal lawmakers added that was missing from Cox’s speech was environmental policy, especially around the Great Salt Lake.
“The Great Salt Lake supports tens of thousands of jobs, drives our outdoor recreation and tourism economy, and protects our air quality. When the lake shrinks, toxic lakebed is exposed, creating fugitive dust that moves through our communities and into our lungs. The lake’s decline threatens public health, local economies, and the future of this state,” Escamilla said.
The 2026 Legislative session ends March 6.
