Merrill Cook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Merrill Cook
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 2nd district |
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| In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Enid Greene |
| Succeeded by | Jim Matheson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 6, 1946 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 1988, 1996–present) Independent (1988–1996) |
| Spouse |
Camille Sanders
(died 2015) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | University of Utah (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
Merrill Alonzo Cook (born May 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman. He was a member of the Republican Party. He served in the United States House of Representatives for Utah.
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Early Life and Career
Merrill Cook was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. His father, Melvin A. Cook, was a scientist. He helped create new types of mining explosives.
Merrill Cook finished East High School in 1964. He then went to the University of Utah, graduating in 1969. He earned a special business degree (an M.B.A.) from Harvard Business School in 1971.
After college, he worked as a budget analyst. In 1973, he started his own company, Cook Slurry Company. This company made explosives for mining. He was the president and chief executive of his company.
Merrill Cook married Camille Sanders. They had five children together. They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Camille, who was an opera singer, passed away in 2015.
Merrill Cook's Political Journey
Before he became a member of Congress, Merrill Cook ran for many different political jobs. He ran as a Republican. He also ran as an Independent, even starting his own political group in Utah in 1988.
He tried to get elected to the Utah Board of Education in 1984. He also ran for Mayor of Salt Lake City in 1985. In 1986, he ran for the Salt Lake County Commission. He did not win any of these early elections.
Cook first ran for Governor of Utah in 1988. He came in third place. His votes meant that neither the Republican nor the Democratic candidate won by a large amount. He ran for governor again in 1992. He finished second that time. In 1994, he ran for Congress in Utah's 2nd district. He came in third place.
Winning a Seat in Congress
In 1996, the current Republican representative, Enid Greene, decided not to run again. Merrill Cook rejoined the Republican Party. He won the party's primary election. This meant he would be the Republican candidate.
In the main election, he ran against Rocky Anderson. Cook won the election with 56 percent of the votes. This made him a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Serving in Congress
Merrill Cook won re-election in 1998. He won by a good margin. During this time, he faced some challenges. He had disagreements with some people in his party. Despite these issues, he still won his election.
In 2000, the Democrats chose Jim Matheson to run against Cook. Matheson was the son of a popular former governor. Many Republicans were worried about Cook's chances. Cook had to run in a primary election against another Republican, Derek Smith. Smith won the primary election against Cook. This meant Cook would not be the Republican candidate. Matheson then easily won the general election.
Later Political Efforts
After leaving Congress, Cook continued to run for various offices. In 2004, he ran for mayor of Salt Lake County as an independent. He did not win. In 2006, he tried to challenge another Congressman but was not chosen by his party.
He tried to run for his old congressional seat again in 2008. Merrill Cook often used his own money to pay for his campaigns. He spent over $4 million of his own money on his political efforts. He lost the Republican nomination in 2008. In 2010, he ran for the U.S. Senate but did not get past the first round of voting at the state convention.
See also
- United States Senate election in Utah, 2010
