A majority of Utah voters said they approve of Gov. Spencer Cox’s endorsement of former President Donald Trump, according to a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted by HarrisX.
While the move surprised some of Cox’s close allies, the poll found that his decision to board the Trump train came as welcome news to 58% of registered voters in the state — the exact same percentage that voted for Trump in 2020.
Despite the apparent popular support for his decision, Cox told reporters during a monthly broadcast in July that it was not made for political reasons.
“None of this was based on a calculus,” Cox said. “This was all based just on these intense feelings that I’ve had over the course of the past week and the past year.”
Until recently, Cox remained one of the few Republican leaders to publicly withhold his support from the party’s standard bearer. Cox reversed course shortly after the failed assassination attempt against Trump.
The governor wrote the former president a letter, dated July 14, complimenting Trump’s short-lived appeal to unity. Cox pledged to “do everything I can to help” Trump win the election in an attempt to “lower the temperature in this country.” In a later press conference, Cox confirmed his support would translate into a vote for Trump this November.
Cox’s decision came one month after a contentious GOP primary contest that saw his opponent, state Rep. Phil Lyman, repeatedly attack Cox for his lukewarm attitude toward Trump. And it came just one week after Cox said in a CNN interview he would not cast his ballot for the Republican nominee in 2024.
More than one-third of Utahns, 34%, said they strongly approve of Cox’s about-face on Trump’s reelection, according to the Deseret News/Hinckley Institute survey, which also found that 31% of Utah voters have a “very favorable” view of Trump. A quarter of Utah voters somewhat approve of Cox’s endorsement, 11% somewhat disapprove and 22% strongly disapprove. Just under 10% said they were unsure.
The poll was conducted from Aug. 2-9 among 800 registered voters in Utah by HarrisX. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 3.5 percentage points.
Find the full dataset for the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute Utah poll here.
What do Republicans think of Cox endorsing Trump?
In his endorsement letter, Cox expressed hope that Trump could lead the country to “a new era of peace, unity, and prosperity.” The governor later clarified in an interview with The Atlantic that his emphasis on “Disagree Better” could be better carried out if he is officially “on the team” of Trump.
Cox had previously claimed he is not “anti-Trump,” only that he has “serious issues” with some of the former president’s policies and antics. After the Jan. 6 riot, Cox called on Trump to resign, saying it “would be good for the nation.” Earlier this year, Cox said Republicans would make “a huge mistake” if they nominated Trump again. In June, Politico declared Cox “the new face of Trump skepticism on the right.”
Nearly 80% of Utah Republican voters said they approve of Cox’s change of tone, the poll found. Half of Utah Republicans said they “strongly approve,” 29% said they “somewhat approve,” 7% said they disapprove and 6% said they “strongly disapprove.”
The reverse was seen among Utah’s Democratic voters: 15% approved and 80% disapproved of Cox’s endorsement. Independent voters were split down the middle, with 44% approving of Cox’s endorsement and 44% disapproving.
“The extremism, division, and hate that Trump embodies does not represent who we are as Utahns,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian King said, pointing to the relatively unenthusiastic treatment Utah Republicans gave Trump in the state’s GOP presidential preference poll.
“Unfortunately, Cox has decided that it’s in his political interests to turn his back on those Utahns and go all in on Donald Trump and the extreme agenda he represents,” King continued. “We are building a coalition of pragmatists made up of Utahns across the political spectrum who are looking for a different kind of leadership. Anyone who is disappointed in the governor’s clear, consistent lack of political courage is welcome to join us — for the better.”
Will Cox’s endorsement influence Utahns to support Trump?
Cox spent Monday morning with Trump at the Arlington National Cemetery paying tribute to the 13 U.S. service members killed outside of the Kabul airport three years ago, on Aug. 26, 2021. The visit featured a photoshoot of the two men standing and walking together.
Cox is considered a fairly popular governor, with an approval rating that regularly approaches 65%. The Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found that Cox’s U-turn on Trump carries some weight with Utah voters.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of Utah voters — including one third (32%) of Republicans — said that Cox’s endorsement of Trump makes them more likely to vote for Trump.
The vast majority of voters, 64%, said Cox’s endorsement does not have an impact on how they vote in the presidential election, while 13% said it makes them less likely to vote for Trump.
The same Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found that Cox is on track to win reelection by a large margin in the general election.
If the election for Utah governor were held today, the poll found that 59% of Utah registered voters say they would cast their ballot for Cox, the Republican nominee; 19% say they would vote for King, the Democratic nominee; and 23% say they don’t know or are unsure.
Cox’s lead increased by 4 percentage points when undecided voters were asked to choose between the two major party candidates whose names will appear on the ballot in November.