John H. Cox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John H. Cox
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Cox in 2017
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John Kaplan
July 15, 1955 Chicago, Illinois, US
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| Education | University of Illinois Chicago (BA) Illinois Institute of Technology (JD) |
| Political party | Republican (2000–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy (divorced) Sarah Cox |
| Children | 4 |
John Herman Cox was born on July 15, 1955. He is an American businessman and housing developer. He is also known as a political activist. John Cox is a member of the Republican Party. He was the Republican candidate for Governor of California in 2018. He also ran in the state's 2021 recall election.
Cox started his political journey as a Democrat. He later became a Republican in Illinois. He ran for different political offices there. After moving to California, he continued his political work.
Early Life and Education
John Cox was born John Kaplan. His mother was Priscilla Pick. His stepfather, Thomas Cox, adopted him. The family moved to Alsip, Illinois.
John Cox went to Harold L. Richards High School. He paid for his college education by teaching tennis. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and political science. This was from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He later earned a law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law. He studied at night while working as an accountant during the day.
Cox was raised by his Jewish mother. He now practices Catholicism with his family.
His Business Career
In 1981, John Cox started his own law firm. It focused on corporate law and tax planning. A few years later, in 1985, he founded Cox Financial Group Ltd. This company helped people with investments and financial planning.
Cox helped a potato-chip company improve its finances. However, the owners later had a disagreement with him. This issue was settled when Cox bought some property from them.
Political Journey
Early Political Steps in Illinois
John Cox first tried to get involved in politics as a Democrat. He ran to be a delegate in 1976. Later, he became a Republican. In 1987, he helped with Jack Kemp's presidential campaign.
In 2000, Cox ran for Congress in Illinois. He spent a lot of money on his campaign. However, he finished fifth in the Republican primary election. In 2002, he ran for the United States Senate. He lost that primary election too.
Cox also hosted a radio talk show. It was called The Progressive Conservative. He talked about different political topics on the show. In 2004, he became the president of the Cook County Republican Party.
In 2004, Cox ran for Cook County Recorder of Deeds. He wanted to get rid of the position because he thought it was unnecessary. He lost the election. However, voters in Cook County later agreed with him. In 2016, they voted to remove the office.
Running for President
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On March 9, 2006, John Cox announced he would run for president. He was the first Republican to officially join the 2008 presidential race. He later left the race. However, his name still appeared on some ballots. Cox moved to California in 2007. He became a full-time resident in 2011.
California Campaigns
Ideas for Change
Cox created several ideas for new laws in California. One idea was called the "Neighborhood Legislature" plan. It aimed to make the state legislature smaller and less focused on career politicians. He tried to get this idea on the ballot several times. But he could not get enough signatures.
In 2016, Cox had another interesting idea. He suggested that lawmakers should wear the logos of their top donors. This would be like NASCAR drivers wearing sponsor logos. He wanted voters to see who was supporting the politicians. This idea also did not get enough signatures to be on the ballot.
2018 Governor Election
On March 7, 2017, Cox announced he would run for Governor of California. He received support from many Republicans. This included Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump.
Cox's campaign slogan was "clean out the barn." He promised to lower taxes and reduce business rules. He also wanted to improve roads and bridges. He said he would repeal the gas tax. Cox put $4.4 million of his own money into his campaign.
In the primary election on June 5, 2018, Cox came in second place. This meant he would face the Democratic candidate, Gavin Newsom, in the main election. On November 6, 2018, Cox lost to Gavin Newsom. Newsom won by a large number of votes.
2021 Governor Recall Election
In September 2020, Cox started looking into running for governor again in 2022. However, an opportunity came sooner. There was a special election in 2021 to recall Governor Newsom.
Cox supported the effort to recall Newsom. He donated money to the group working on it. On April 26, 2021, it was announced that enough signatures were collected for the recall election. On May 4, 2021, Cox officially joined the recall election. He called himself "the beast" running against "beauty."
During his 2021 campaign, Cox was given a legal paper during a live debate. This was about an unpaid debt from his 2018 campaign. Cox said the case was not serious. The case was later dropped because he was not legally responsible for the debt. In the 2021 recall election, Cox finished in fifth place.
Political Views
John Cox started his political life as a moderate Democrat. But he became known as a conservative Republican. He believes in a "consistent life ethic." ..... He also supports building a border wall. On money matters, he is against the gas tax. He also opposes California's high-speed rail project.
Border Wall
In 2018, Cox first said he was against building a border wall. But he later changed his mind. He now supports building a wall on the southern border.
Death Penalty
Cox personally does not support the death penalty. This is because of his Catholic faith. He also believes it costs too much money. However, during his 2018 campaign, his team said he would enforce the state's laws if elected.
Donald Trump
John Cox did not support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He voted for Gary Johnson, a Libertarian candidate. Some Republicans criticized Cox for this. By January 2018, Cox said his vote for Johnson was "a mistake."
President Trump later supported John Cox. On May 19, 2018, Trump tweeted that California needed a great governor. He said Cox understood borders, crime, and lowering taxes. Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, also supported Cox.
Gas Tax Repeal
In 2018, Cox tried to get rid of a gas tax increase. This tax was approved in 2017. It increased the price of gasoline and diesel. Cox collected many signatures to try and repeal it.
LGBTQ Rights
In February 2018, Cox faced criticism for comments he made in 2007. He had linked gay rights to other sensitive topics. He has since said his views have changed. He looks forward to working with the LGBTQ community.
High-Speed Rail
John Cox is against building the California High-Speed Rail project.
Separation of Church and State
During a campaign event in 2008, Cox stated his belief that the Constitution does not mention a "separation of church and state."
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See also
In Spanish: John H. Cox para niños
