Gubernatorial candidate Cox discusses election, COVID-19 recovery plan

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Gubernatorial candidate Kirk Cox is weighing in on the fight brewing on Capitol Hill over certifying the election results. The Republican is also discussing elements of his COVID-19 economic recovery plan.

Cox says he is concerned about some irregularities with the 2020 election, but does not support efforts by some of the members of his party on Capitol Hill to overturn it.

“I did say very fairly clearly that I thought with the Electoral College vote back in December that Joe Biden was going to be the next president and that’s the reality,” the candidate said.

Cox has criticized the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, pointing to statistics from Virginia Department of Health that show as of Monday, January 4, the commonwealth had received more than 451,000 vaccines but had only about 90,000 doses. As of Tuesday, more than 104,000 had been administered.

“Until we deal with that more effectively, I think it’s going to be very hard for the economy to open the way we want it to open,” the candidate said.

Cox also believes many of Governor Ralph Northam’s executive actions related to the pandemic have not made sense: “You know, obviously action needs to be taken, but we’ve had curfews, which nobody’s really explained how that really affects the spike,” he said.

If Cox secures his party’s nomination and wins the governorship in November, then he could face a Democratic-led legislature, meaning he’d have to work across the aisle to pass his agenda. He says it’s something he’s already done and prepared to do again.

“I only have a 46% Republican district and I won that district by five points,” Cox said. “My district is over 30% minority, so I’ve had the reputation, I think, as a public school teacher and now as a delegate of really getting things done.”

Republicans will hold a convention this summer, not a primary, to determine the party’s candidate for governor.