Editor’s note: In anticipation of the June 30 primary elections, each of the four Republican candidates for governor are making their case in the Deseret News this week. See the sidebar below to read op-eds from former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes, former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and former Utah GOP Chairman Thomas Wright.
When Abby and I announced we would be running for governor, we made two promises to each other.
First, while others may outspend us, no one would outwork us.
And second, this experience will not change who we are. Instead of misleading and negative attacks, we would prove that running for office doesn’t need to be about tearing others down.
After all, as Utahns there is so much that we share in common. We must never forget that just like there is an American dream that we all aspire to achieve, there is a Utah dream, too.
This Utah dream is captured in a sentiment I have heard again and again on the campaign trail. It’s what so many have said to me in quiet moments when we’ve been able to talk, heart to heart, where I’ve heard you express this simple idea:
“I want this to be a place where my children are happy and healthy. And I want to grow old surrounded by my kids and my grandkids.”
Of course, making this shared dream a reality means different things for different people.
In rural Utah it requires a dramatic increase in good jobs so that our children have a choice to stay. Along the Wasatch Front it requires more affordable housing, cleaner air and better infrastructure so that our children have a desire to stay.
And all across our state, it means not just another economic comeback, but a commitment to the most aggressive upgrade to our educational programs since we became a state nearly 125 years ago.
We can do these things, even though they are hard. And we must take bold action, even as we emerge from the turbulence of 2020.
If elected, a Cox-Henderson administration will implement initiatives that look beyond our immediate recovery and identify steps to increase Utah’s long-term self-sufficiency, prioritize in-state manufacturing and commerce, build essential supply chains and incentivize local business growth by cultivating an economic environment founded on low taxes and fewer regulations.
A Cox-Henderson administration will push back against those who would have us believe that we are only one more tax increase or government program closer to prosperity. Our administration will clear the way for hard-working individuals and daring entrepreneurs to determine their own success.
A Cox-Henderson administration will work with Utah’s small-business and tech leaders, agriculture community, civic groups and local elected officials to identify and cut unnecessary regulations, support smart infrastructure, unleash Utah’s education potential, boost rural Utah and promote other pro-growth policies that will enable Utah businesses to once again grow and prosper.
With our experience in business and government, at the state and local level — both on the Wasatch Front and in rural Utah — I believe that my running mate Sen. Deidre Henderson and I are worthy of your support.
Over the next four years, we promise — no one will work harder for our state and its people so that together we can achieve this Utah dream.