Utah Gov. Spencer Cox becomes a grandfather

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's governor is now a grandfather.

Gov. Spencer Cox's first grandchild, Finneas Spencer Cox, was born on Wednesday, the governor confirmed during his monthly news conference.

Cox, 51, who is the father of four children, became emotional as he talked about becoming a grandparent for the first time.

"It was one of the best days of my life," he said Thursday, in between answering questions about a variety of topics including data centers, a now-scuttled large ICE detention facility, and ongoing drought.

The governor acknowledged his mind during the news conference was "totally somewhere else," thinking about his new grandson, and he paused and became teary-eyed as he discussed the child's birth.

"He had a little hard time breathing when he came out," Cox said, "so those are scary moments, but he's doing great."

Cox posted a photo of himself with his grandson on social media Thursday morning, calling it the "purest joy."

Before moving on to other topics, the governor also addressed Utah's declining fertility rates.

"I hope everybody gets a chance to be a grandparent someday. I really do," he said. "I worry, with the demographic changes in our country, people are getting married later, they're having kids later, or not having kids at all or not getting married at all."

The governor added, "There's nothing more important than family. It's the most important institution, I think, in our country."

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