Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson sworn into office
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox gives a speech at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Washington County after being sworn into office on Monday, Jan. 4.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox gives a speech at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Washington County after being sworn into office on Monday, Jan. 4.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson gives a speech at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Washington County after being sworn into office on Monday, Jan. 4.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson took the oath of office on Monday as they were sworn into state office on the 125th anniversary of Utah’s statehood.
Cox, formerly lieutenant governor, became Utah’s 18th governor, while Henderson, a former state senator from Spanish Fork, is the state’s second female lieutenant governor. Cox replaces Gov. Gary Herbert, who served as Utah’s governor beginning in 2009.
The outdoor inauguration ceremony took place at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Washington County, marking Utah’s first inauguration ceremony not held in Salt Lake City.
Speaking in front of a natural backdrop of red rock and blue sky, Cox spoke about the “valuable lessons” Utah learned in 2020 from the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including “learning that our people are smarter than we ever could have imagined, as scientists, chemists and medical professionals developed and mastered new technologies to create multiple life-saving vaccines in record time.
“And yet,” the governor continued, “at a time when we have more knowledge at our fingertips than any generation in history, we have somehow become more susceptible to disinformation, conspiracy theories and lies, as too often we all struggle to find accurate sources of truth and unbiased information.”
Cox also praised government officials and business leaders for finding “ways to adapt and innovate through impossible circumstances to restore critical supply chains and keep businesses open, and friends and families safe and employed.”
“And yet, we have also seen real weaknesses as too many people have lost their lives and livelihoods, and too many of our most vulnerable communities, including our Native American, Black, Latino and Pacific Islander friends have been disproportionately impacted by this virus and continued racial inequalities.”
Ahead of and during the inauguration ceremony in southern Utah, dozens of protesters lined up on the highway in protest of mask mandates implemented by state officials.
In his inauguration speech, Cox called for unity in a time when Americans are “far more divided than at any time in our lifetimes as the news is filled with civil unrest and protest, including one right outside this venue today.”
“Hateful rhetoric dominates our political discourse,” said Cox. “We are facing a crisis of empathy, a scourge of contempt. Very little feels united about the United States today.
“Now let me be clear: Conflict and passionate debate around ideas can (be) and is healthy,” he said. “But contempt and contention will rot the souls of our nation and her people. And this division isn’t just ugly or unfortunate, it is dangerous.”
Utah’s 18th governor added, “But there is good news. It’s not too late to fix this, and Utah is the perfect place to make it happen.”
Henderson, who was the first lieutenant governor in state history to speak at an inauguration ceremony, spoke about her ancestors being among the first to settle in Spanish Fork and said Utah “has been a beacon to the nation for many years.”
“Those first leaders of our state demonstrated answerable courage when they risked the very statehood they sought by including women’s rights in the state constitution,” the lieutenant governor said.
Henderson also spoke about the “answerable courage” that Utahns have shown during the pandemic, noting that Utah is the “best positioned state to come out of the current economic downturn” and “our educators have adapted to be able to teach their students under the most trying conditions, and our frontline health workers have been heroic in their care for the sickest among us.”
“But even with all of that, we still have work to do,” Henderson said, adding that “the difficulties of the past year have exposed some of the inequalities that still exist in our communities.”
“I want to assure all Utahns that there is room at the table for you,” Henderson said.
The inauguration ceremony included multiple pre-recorded musical numbers, including a performance of “Homeward Bound” by “American Idol” star David Archuleta and other musicians, as well as a vocal arrangement of “You Will Be Found” by the Brigham Young University Young Ambassadors, a group that includes Jimmy Henderson, the lieutenant governor’s son.
After the inauguration ceremony, Cox and Henderson made brief remarks at the Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum in Fillmore and planned to drive through Fairview and Spanish Fork.
