And during the public inauguration ceremony Wednesday at the Eccles Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City — which featured remarks from a handful of state leaders and a performance  from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir — the governor laid out his vision for the next four years.

First and foremost is what he calls an “abundance agenda.” The state doesn’t have to choose between growth and conservation, he said. It can do both.

That includes a focus on affordability, in both housing and energy, and a prioritization of policies that help the state’s elderly population, who Cox said “have been left behind with soaring prices over the past four years.”

He’ll look to promote family-oriented legislation, while remaining steadfast in his fight against social media and the impacts on children.

The administration will look to be an ally to President-elect Trump and his immigration policies, working with federal agencies to ramp up deportations while trying to “fix legal immigration.”

The state will continue its legal push to undo Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, while challenging the legitimacy of millions of acres of non-designated federal land.

And Cox will advocate for deregulation, especially around infrastructure projects, hoping to scale back the lengthy environmental reviews required in the permitting process.

“We believe that we can do all of those things,” Cox told reporters after he was sworn in. “It means removing unnecessary regulation, it means working with our federal partners because they control a large portion of this state … and working very closely with the legislature.”

On Thursday, Cox will travel to Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort with other GOP governors to meet with the incoming president. There, the governors will talk with Trump about housing affordability, the border crisis and inflation. Cox said if he gets the chance, he’ll press Trump on public lands and energy, and how over the next four years the two can work to “unleash the energy potential” in the Western U.S.

“My hope is that we’ll be able to have a good conversation about those issues,” Cox said.

Cox was sworn in at about 10:35 a.m. Wednesday by Utah Supreme Court Justice Matthew Durrant. He then took the stage to give his public inauguration speech, beginning with a shoutout to some of the state’s newest leaders.

That included Attorney General Derek Brown, a former state lawmaker, U.S. Senate staffer and Utah Republican Party chairman; State Auditor Tina Cannon, the first Republican woman elected to the statewide office in Utah; newly reelected Treasurer Marlo Oaks, who Cox said is “uniquely qualified to manage Utah’s $36 billion in investments”; and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, also a former lawmaker, who Cox noted worked “tough jobs” including a certified nursing assistant, dishwasher and even a Blockbuster Video associate leading up to her political career.

All four politicians were also sworn in on Wednesday.

Cox touted several accomplishments from the previous four years — a raise for teachers, securing the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, suing social media companies — and various rankings, including the “Best State Overall” from U.S. News & World Report, best state to start a business and best state for economic mobility.

“I would love to say that it’s the incredible work and accomplishments of the Cox/Henderson administration and the Legislature — that our initiative and accomplishments over the past four years have made all the difference,” Cox said. “But that wouldn’t be true.”

Instead, the governor downplayed government’s role in the state’s quality of life, instead giving the credit to Utahns.

“Utah is not No. 1 because of our government. We are number one because of our people.” said Cox, his eyes watering several times as he spoke about his upbringing in Fairview, giving kudos to several family friends in attendance on Wednesday.

After she was sworn in, Henderson echoed Cox’s “abundance agenda,” touting some of the accomplishments from the last four years, like improving drinking water infrastructure, transportation and economic development.

“As we face new challenges, we will build on a foundation we inherited,” Henderson said. “We can experience high population growth and high quality of life. We can address housing demands and allow cities and towns to maintain the qualities that make them special. We can maintain public safety and demonstrate the compassion that defines our values as a state. We can welcome refugees and new Americans and support immigration reform.”

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.