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Home > Archive > Jul 12, 2007

Climbing the Political Ladder
By Cami Cox
Staff Writer
A former Dixie State College student is making Washington, D.C., his home this summer.
Ed Cox, 20, of St. George, has been hard at work as an intern for Congressman Chris Cannon (R-Utah) since May. Young compared to the majority of interns serving in Washington, D.C., Cox has only completed an associate degree so far in his college career, while most of his fellow interns are in the midst of pursuing their advanced degrees. It was the Pine View graduate's initiative, experience and personal networking that landed him the sought-after position of political intern.
“I don't have the best grades – they're not bad,” Cox said, “but when it comes to leadership and extracurricular activities, I think I'm well ahead of the game. That's really what got me the internship.”
An active member of Utah's Federation of College Republicans and current state chairman of that organization, Cox was also chairman of Dixie State College's College Republican chapter while attending that school. He was at a leadership conference in Washington, D.C., earlier this year as part of a College Republicans activity, when he applied to be Cannon's intern. A friend of Cox interned for Cannon last year and recommended the internship opportunity to him. His friend connected him with the congressman's office and put in a good word for him. While in Washington, D.C., Cox took the initiative to personally stop by Cannon's office to get a jump on his competition for the slot.
“I requested a personal interview for the internship, and they interviewed me. A couple of months later, they called me back and they said I got it,” Cox said. “Most of the interviews are over the phone, so that gave me a little bit of an edge since I was able to do a personal interview.”
Acquiring the internship was only part of the battle for Cox. Most interns apply for their internship positions through the universities they're attending, but for Cox, it was up to him to secure and finance other aspects of the internship experience that a school would ordinarily take care of.
“I came and got the internship by myself, so it's all on my own,” Cox said. “I asked the school (the University of Utah) if I could get in with their housing. I was declined, and so I decided to take the initiative and find housing for myself.”
He found a business that provides housing for political interns in Washington, D.C., and paid for boarding on his own. He now rooms with two other interns – both Democrats, which makes for an interesting living experience, he said.
“Even when you come home, you're talking politics, and you're talking policy and arguing with them,” he said. “You're always wanting to be one step ahead of everyone else so you can argue your point, whether it's in the office or at home.”
As Cannon's intern, Cox's duties have ranged from routine office work to more challenging tasks, such as conducting political research and drafting letters on behalf of the congressman.
“I help get an initial draft and outline, and then I submit it and the congressman reviews it,” Cox said. “I wrote a letter to the president of Kazakhstan, congratulating him on expanding parliament and creating a more democratic state.”
It's been a lot of work for Cox in Washington, D.C., as he's been performing his intern duties and attempting to lead his Utah College Republicans chapter from his home in Washington, D.C.
“I'm still chairman, and so I'm trying to lead College Republicans from thousands of miles away,” he said. “I've had great support from back home.”
He also recently ran for and was elected to the position of representative for the Western Caucus Credentials Committee for College Republicans in D.C., which has added more responsibility to his plate.
To sit on the Credentials Committee is a highly sought-after position, Cox said. It is up to the committee to regulate the number of delegates allotted to each state, based on the number of College Republicans in each state's chapters throughout the nation.
“What the credentials committee does is they make sure that everything's fair on the number of delegates given each state,” Cox said. “The choosing of delegates is crucial, and so being on Credentials Committee is actually a pretty big deal. A lot of people want it.”
Cox will remain in Washington, D.C., until the end of the summer. He has been accepted to the University of Utah and plans to attend that school when he returns. He intends to pursue a master's degree in economics, and when he's finished with school, it's back to Capitol Hill for the St. George native to pursue a political career.
“I want to move back to D.C. and work on the Hill for either a congressman or a senator as a legislative assistant or director,” Cox said. “I just kind of want to work my way up the ranks, maybe eventually run for office, but I'm not sure about that.”
Though he's not certain an elected official is what he ultimately wants to be, turning his sights to the White House someday is not out of the question for the young Republican.
“Most people don't really plan on being president – it just happens,” Cox said. “The only people I can think of that said they planned on being president were Edwards and Kerry, and they obviously didn't make it. It's kind of aiming really high, so I'll just work hard and I'll get where I get.”

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