Utah GOP governor says he ‘hopes’ at least one of six current and former state leaders running for president in 2024 can beat Donald Trump
- Utah Governor Spencer Cox said he ‘hopes’ a governor wins the GOP nomination in 2024 — and says the party needs to ‘turn the page’
- Of the 15 candidates running so far, six are current or former governors
- The front runners are currently Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
There are six current and former Republican governors up for the party’s 2024 nomination — and Utah Governor Spencer Cox “hopes” one of them can beat Donald Trump.
Of the 15 candidates vying for the Republican nomination so far, nearly half are currently or have held that position as governor.
“I like governors,” Cox said during an interview with CBS Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan. “I love governors. I think governors have real experience.”
“The great thing about governors is we have to get things done, right? We can’t just do the gig,” he added.
Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox said he ‘hopes’ a governor wins the GOP nomination in 2024 — and says the party needs to ‘turn the page’
The frontrunners are currently former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Of the 15 candidates running so far, six are current or former governors
The only likely competitor to front-runner Donald Trump in the primary race so far is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who rose to national prominence for his successful COVID-19 response and lax reopening laws in the midst of the pandemic.
In addition to serving as Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence also served as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017.
Former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was South Carolina’s first female governor from 2001 to 2017 when Trump nominated her for the ambassadorship.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and ex-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have also thrown their hats into the race.
The only other current governor in the running besides DeSantis is Doug Burgum of North Dakota, a billionaire who sold his software company to Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion.
There’s still some time for others to jump into 2024, but the first debate is fast approaching in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23, and any candidate with a serious shot would want to announce themselves before that date.
Cox hopes a governor can win the nomination as he wants to “turn the page” on past leadership and bring new blood to the executive branch.
He also said that governors are usually successful in higher office because they are efficient and good team players – even across party lines.
“You know, pits aren’t partisan,” he said in his CBS interview Sunday morning.
“And I think we have a lot of great choices,” Governor Cox added. “And I’m hopeful that we can turn the page and try something different, someone who can win, which I think is important.”
“And I think any of those governors could win and I sure hope we’ll give them a chance.”
Trump maintains a commanding lead in the polls with usually at least 50 percent support.
DeSantis regularly falls behind Trump by about 20 points, while the rest of the field usually doesn’t get into double digits.