Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox told CNN on Wednesday that he does not plan to vote for Donald Trump for president.
Gov. Cox told the outlet that he would write someone else in for president and that he has not voted for the top of the Republican national ticket since 2012. The Utah governor’s segment of the interview where he disclosed his voting intentions was tweeted out by the group Republicans against Trump. (RELATED: Red State Sued Over Law Requiring Parental Consent For Kids To Use Social Media)
“I’ve said before, I haven’t voted for the top of the ticket since 2012. I’ve certainly had my concerns. One of those is what happened on Jan. 6. I’m hopeful. I want my party to win,” he stated.
Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox says he’ll NOT be voting for Donald Trump this November: “I’ll write somebody in…But I’m supporting, I do want Donald Trump to succeed.” pic.twitter.com/7Ihsgr3cVm
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 11, 2024
“They chose a candidate this time around that was not my first choice, wasn’t my choice last time either, but the party’s spoken and that’s who they have chosen. So I’ve said I’m not going to vote for either presidential candidate this year. I’ll write somebody in as I’ve done in the past,” Gov. Cox said.
The governor added that he still “wanted Donald Trump to succeed” and for the Republican party to win in 2024.
Cox expressed reservations about Trump in the interview and cited the Jan. 6 riot as validating his “concerns” about the candidate. Utah is typically seen as a reliably Republican state. Trump won 45.5 percent of the state’s vote in 2016 compared to Hillary Clinton’s 27.5 percent, according to Ballotpedia. Trump similarly won the state in 2020 with 58.2 percent of the vote, Politico reported.
Gov. Cox was elected in 2020 and is running for a second term, according to Ballotpedia. Gov. Cox fended off a challenger from his right during the 2024 Republican primary.
