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SALT LAKE CITY — For first-time elected officials, there can be a lot of pressure to make a splashy debut, or shake things up on the first week of the job. For 17 newly-elected lawmakers in the Utah House of Representatives, making their first foray into legislative politics, the urge to stand out can feel even stronger.
That's not the case for freshman Rep. Jay Cobb Jr., R-South Jordan. Cobb, an attorney who used to work as a staffer for Utah Sen. Bob Bennett in Washington, D.C., said his passion is working toward good policy. And while he describes himself as a stalwart conservative, he plans to be a different brand of conservative than is common in the Utah Legislature.
"To me, I think the difference is in approach," Cobb told KSL.com last month. "I'm not the bombastic bomb-thrower who's always coming after those I disagree with and those in the media. I want to be more thoughtful. But, I'm unabashedly a conservative. I'm not going to claim anything else, because that's where my political views are."
Cobb said he expects his constituents to hold him to a high standard when it comes to upholding conservative values in the Legislature, but he expects to work across the aisle as often as he can to come up with the best solutions for Utahns.
"Honestly, I think all policy issues we should be working across the aisle. My intent is to talk with everyone. Obviously, from strict political ideology we may differ, but I would at least want to reach out and have those conversations where there's common ground," he said. "So I can't single out a policy issue (to work together on) because I think it would be the wrong approach to say I'm only going to talk to Democrats on these particular issues."
"I hope to foster good relationships with all people of all political persuasion so that we can find common ground and work on those together."
That was the promise I made when I was campaigning, that I'd be thoughtful. That I wouldn't be so arrogant to think I know it all, and to really become a thoughtful, deliberate and careful legislator.
– Rep. Ray Cobb Jr., R-South Jordan
Through the first half of the legislative session, Cobb has already shown a willingness to ask sincere questions, and has given thoughtful consideration to important bills. During a discussion about a high-profile bill to regulate social media last week, Cobb walked colleagues through his thought process as he changed his mind to support the bill, but only after his earlier concerns were addressed.
Cobb has proposed at least five bills this session, two of which have been assigned to committees and could be heard next week. Despite his years of legal experience, Cobb views this latest venture as an opportunity to learn.
"I love to learn, I love challenges," he said. "That was the promise I made when I was campaigning, that I'd be thoughtful. That I wouldn't be so arrogant to think I know it all, and to really become a thoughtful, deliberate and careful legislator."
