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18 days - First day candidates (except Congressional candidates) can file for the 2026 election. (1/2/2026)
36 days - Start of the 2026 Utah Legislature (1/20/2026)
84 days - First day congressional candidates can file to run for the 2026 election. (3/9/2026)
92 days - Neighborhood caucus night. (3/17/2026)
131 days - Utah Democratic Party's state nominating convention (4/25/2026)
190 days - Utah's 2026 primary election (6/23/2026)
323 days - 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026)
1,058 days - 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028)
📰 Above the fold
Politico’s Jonathan Martin just floated Utah Gov. Spencer Cox as a 2028 GOP contender — not for Cox’s “disagree better” shtick, but for his crusade against Big Tech.
The pitch is simple: Cox the tech pessimist, not Cox the civility mascot.
“It’s the other Cox, the one full of righteous indignation about the impact of social media on children and phone addiction on all of us, who believes tech companies should be confronted like the opioid makers of yesteryear. It’s the second-term governor who harnessed the internet earlier than most of his contemporaries, and still fights his Twitter addiction, but who has since become radicalized and, by his own admission, is now fully ‘a tech pessimist,’” Martin writes.
There is a lane here. Martin argues that every 2028 candidate needs a plan to confront technology’s impact on every aspect of life.
“As concern over algorithms gives way to panic over artificial intelligence, it’s clear every candidate will need an answer on what’s poised to reshape education, the economy, geopolitics, warfare and, oh, most every other facet of American life,” Martin argues.
Cox would be a long shot in 2028, but long shot candidates can set the agenda, especially if they own a hot-button issue.
This is the second time that Cox’s name has come up as a possible candidate for president in 2028. The Washington Post recently slotted Cox among 2028 “not‑quite MAGA” hopefuls — think Mike Pence, Nikki Haley — who would appeal to conservatives who want Trumpism’s voters without Trumpism’s theatrics.
The real question isn’t “can Cox run?” It’s “can he take a punch?” It’s well-known in the Utah political sphere that Cox is notoriously thin-skinned when it comes to criticism. National campaigns are nonstop body blows—from rivals, media and the internet he wants to tame.
The timing of all this as the 2028 buzz starts to warm up feels very curious and convenient.
As first reported by Utah Political Watch, Cox is writing a book on political polarization - but he insists it’s not a 2028 prelude.
As FDR said, “In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.”