State attorney general nominee Stephen Cox was rejected by the Alaska Legislature by a 29-31 vote during a joint session Thursday, with opponents questioning actions by him such as turning over confidential voter data to the federal government and supporting a wide range of conservative out-of-state lawsuits.
He is the second cabinet appointment in state history to fail confirmation. The other was Wayne Anthony Ross in 2009 when he was then-Gov. Sarah Palin’s choice for attorney general.
Legislators during the joint session also approved four commissioners by unanimous or near-unanimous votes, and approved the vast majority of more than 60 appointees to various boards and commissions — with a couple of notable and controversial exceptions.
Cox, a former U.S. attorney in Texas appointed by President Donald Trump, was appointed acting attorney general by Gov. Mike Dunleavy last August. Legislators supporting Cox during Thursday’s joint session cited his legal credentials and said they were impressed by in-person discussions with him.
“He had really good, a broad range, of experience — federal experience, corporate experience and et cetera,” said Rep. Mike Prax, R-North Pole. “And it seemed like he would be a good administrator, which is part of the attorney general’s duty to responsibly manage the Department of Law.”
