John H. Cox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John H. Cox
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Cox in 2017
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Kaplan
July 15, 1955 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (2000–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (before 2000) |
| Spouses | Nancy (divorced) Sarah Cox |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Illinois, Chicago (BA) Illinois Institute of Technology (JD) |
John Herman Cox (born July 15, 1955) is an American businessman and political activist. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was the Republican candidate for Governor of California in 2018. He also ran in the special election to recall the governor in 2021.
Cox started his political journey as a Democrat. He tried to become a delegate for the Democratic National Convention in 1976. Later, he became a Republican in Illinois. He ran for Congress in 2000 and for the United States Senate in 2002. He also ran for President of the United States in 2008.
After moving to California, he suggested an idea called the "California is not for Sale" initiative. This idea aimed to fight against corruption in politics. Cox became the Republican candidate for governor in California in 2018. He lost the election to Democrat Gavin Newsom. In 2021, he ran again in the special election to recall Governor Newsom, but he did not win.
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About John Cox's Life
John Cox was born John Kaplan. His parents were Priscilla and Albert Kaplan. He has an older half-brother named Michael. After his mother divorced his biological father, she married Thomas Cox. Thomas adopted John, and 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 degree in accounting and political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also 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. He later married Sarah Cox and has four children. He was raised by his Jewish mother but now practices Catholicism with his family.
John Cox's Business Work
In 1981, John Cox started his own law firm. It focused on business law and tax planning. In 1985, he started Cox Financial Group Ltd. This company helps people with investments, taxes, and retirement plans. He helped a potato-chip company in Chicago improve its finances. Later, the owners had a business disagreement with Cox, which was settled when Cox bought some property from them.
John Cox's Political Journey
In Illinois
John Cox first started in politics as a Democrat. He tried to become a delegate for the 1976 Democratic National Convention but was not elected. Later, he became a Republican. In 1987, he helped with Jack Kemp's campaign for president.
In 2000, Cox ran for Congress in Illinois but did not win. He spent a lot of money on his campaign. In 2002, he ran for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. He ran on a conservative platform, which means he supported traditional ideas. He finished third in that election.
Cox also hosted a radio talk show called The Progressive Conservative. In 2004, he became the president of the Cook County Republican Party. He also ran for Cook County Recorder of Deeds in 2004. He said he wanted to get rid of the job because he thought it was unnecessary and wasteful. He didn't win, but voters in Cook County later agreed with him and voted to get rid of the office in 2016.
Running for President in 2008
On March 9, 2006, John Cox announced he would run for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2008. He was the first Republican to officially enter the race. He later left the race but still appeared on some ballots. In 2007, he became a part-time resident of California, and by 2011, he lived full-time in Rancho Santa Fe.
In California
Ideas for Change
John Cox wrote several ideas for a new law called the "Neighborhood Legislature constitutional amendment." This idea was inspired by New Hampshire's state assembly, which has many part-time lawmakers. Cox's idea would have made each lawmaker's budget smaller and limited their salaries. However, he couldn't get enough signatures to put his idea on the ballot for voters to decide.
In 2016, Cox suggested another idea. He wanted a law that would make lawmakers wear the logos of their top 10 donors on their suits. This was like NASCAR drivers wearing sponsor logos. He wanted voters to see who was giving money to politicians. This idea also failed to get enough signatures. Even though it might not have been legal, his goal was to show voters how much money from special interest groups affects politics.
2018 Governor Election
On March 7, 2017, John Cox announced he would run for Governor of California in 2018. He got support from many Republican delegates, but not enough for the party's official endorsement. However, he did get support from important people like Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump. He also got support from several Republican members of Congress.
Cox started his campaign with the slogan "clean out the barn." He promised to bring lower taxes, fewer business rules, and better roads to California. He also wanted to get rid of 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. In the main election in November, he lost to the Democratic candidate, Gavin Newsom. Newsom won by a large amount.
2021 Governor Recall Election
In September 2020, Cox started looking into running for governor again in 2022. But he got a chance to run sooner when there was a special election in 2021 to recall Governor Newsom.
Cox supported the effort to recall Newsom and donated money to it. On April 26, 2021, it was announced that enough signatures were collected for a recall election. On May 4, 2021, Cox officially started his campaign for the recall election. He called himself "the beast" running against "beauty."
During his campaign in 2021, Cox was given a legal paper (a subpoena) during a live debate. This was about an unpaid debt from his 2018 campaign. Cox said the case was not serious, and it was later dropped because he was not legally responsible for the debt.
John Cox's Political Ideas
John Cox started his political career as a moderate Democrat. But he is now known for his conservative Republican ideas. He supports building a wall at the border. On money matters, he is against the gas tax and California's high-speed rail project.
Border Wall
In January 2018, Cox said he was against building a border wall. But later, he changed his mind and said he supports a wall at the southern border.
Death Penalty
Cox has said he is against the death penalty. He believes this because of his religious beliefs as a Catholic. He also thinks it costs too much money.
Donald Trump
Cox did not support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He voted for a different candidate instead. Some Republicans criticized him for this. By January 2018, Cox said his vote in 2016 was "a mistake." He tried to keep some distance from Donald Trump during his governor campaign.
However, President Trump later supported John Cox. On May 19, 2018, Trump tweeted that California needed a "great Governor" who 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 that happened in 2017. He collected many signatures for this effort. The tax was approved in April 2017 and increased the price of gasoline by 12 cents a gallon.
LGBTQ Rights
John Cox has said that his views on LGBTQ rights have changed. He now says he wants to work with the LGBTQ community and all Californians to improve the state.
High-Speed Rail
Cox is against building the California High-Speed Rail project.
Images for kids
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Cox in 2017
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California Gubernatorial Candidate John Cox tours a homeless shelter in San Diego, California
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John Cox at 2021 UTLA Protest
See also
In Spanish: John H. Cox para niños
