Following a tumultuous gubernatorial election cycle that featured lawsuits, audits and claims of fraud, incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson alongside Attorney General Derek Brown, Auditor Tina Cannon and Treasurer Marlo Oaks were sworn in during Utah’s ceremonial inauguration ceremony held on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

During his inaugural address, Cox – who recently announced that his second term would be his last – spoke on what he believed made Utah the best state in America: Its citizens, families and communities.

“If you want to understand Utah’s success, it really is this simple,” spoke the Governor,” Moms and dads, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors. There never has been nor will there ever be another replacement … With marriage rates down worldwide, births at an all-time low, deaths of despair at an all-time high, and a sense of community vanishing across much of the Western world, Utah must stand tall as that shining city on a hill. We must be different.”

He also spoke on his youth, namely his parent’s divorce and the Community members who aided him through his “troubled teen years.” “For reasons that still remain unclear to me today, they sacrificed and fought for me, even when I didn’t deserve it – and I mostly didn’t deserve it,” said Cox.

In closing, Cox shared,” I have every assurance that we will succeed because I know that we are not alone. Now is the time to build. And now is the time to never forget what truly matters most. May God bless us all in this effort. And may God continue to bless the great state of Utah.”

Gov. Cox now looks to the next major political event in Utah, the start of the 2025 session of the State Legislature which will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 21.