On Tuesday Mono County’s State Senator Dave Cox died in his home in Fair Oaks, surrounded by friends and family. A press release from the State Senators office reports that Cox had battled prostate cancer for 13 years.

Senator Cox represented a large swath of territory in Eastern California, including 12 counties from the Oregon border through Mono County. While the district is large in area, the population is low, with about 850,000 residents. In a 2006 interview, Cox said that representing this district required, a lot of driving.

Cox represented areas of Sacramento County that could be considered urban by Eastern Sierra standards, but he also represented rural counties like Modoc and Mono. Cox kept these rural counties in mind while working in Sacramento, telling Sierra Wave that legislation that might work in Los Angeles might not work in Mono County.

Dave Cox graduated from the University of San Diego in 1961 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. He was first elected to the State Assembly in November of 1998. He was re-elected twice before he was elected to the State Senate in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008.

Family members write that Cox was, “a devoted family man, he always found time to serve his community and constituents. Dave took great pride in public service and making government work for the people it serves.”

Senator Cox is survived by his wife of 44 years, Maggie; daughters Cathleen, Margo, and Sarah; six grandchildren; and his beloved dog, Rudy.

Memorial services are pending.

 

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