As deadline nears, candidates line up

Local senate race proving to be the most popular

Posted 5/26/20

Although the battle between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden may draw the most attention, there are a slew of other state and local races on the ballot in 2020.

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As deadline nears, candidates line up

Local senate race proving to be the most popular

Posted

Although the battle between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden may draw the most attention, there are a slew of other state and local races on the ballot in 2020.

Up for election are several positions in the City of Powell government — including the mayorship — a couple positions on the Park County Commission, several seats in the Wyoming Legislature and numerous seats on board leading special districts, like the school and college. At the state level, Wyoming voters will be asked to pick a new U.S. senator and decide whether or not to retain U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.

The filing period for partisan and municipal offices opened on May 14 and will close at 5 p.m. Friday.

“I know that perhaps in the challenging times we face with regard to COVID-19, folks may be reluctant to be involved in public service or run for public office, but I would encourage you to look into it,” Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan said earlier this month, noting the ease of signing up.

“I encourage everybody to be involved,” Buchanan said.

   

Wyoming Legislature

It’s become a crowded Republican primary race for Senate District 18, with four GOP candidates vying to replace longtime Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Former Park County Commissioner Tim French of Heart Mountain announced in 2018 that he’d run for the seat and reaffirmed those plans in March. Earlier this month, Rep. David Northrup, R-Powell, decided he will seek to jump from the House to the Senate. Then longtime Cody school board member Stefanie Bell announced that she, too, is throwing her hat in the ring. Finally, Richard Jones of Cody — a former park ranger and a member of the Cody and Park County planning and zoning commissions — declared his candidacy for SD 18 on the first day of the filing period.

Meanwhile, Republican Rachel Rodriguez-Williams of Cody — the executive director of Serenity Pregnancy Resource Center — is seeking to represent House District 50. That’s the seat Northrup currently holds.

In House District 25, which consists solely of the Powell area, Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, has formally filed to seek a fourth term in office. However, he’s facing a Republican primary challenge from Powell businessman Chris Good.

In House District 24 — which covers the western part of the City of Cody, the North and South forks and northern Yellowstone — Rep. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, is seeking a second term. Rep. Jamie Flitner, R-Greybull, is also seeking another term in HD 26, which includes not only northern Big Horn County but also Garland.

There’s an open seat in Senate District 20, a sprawling district that includes Meeteetse. The position is currently held by Sen. Wyatt Agar, R-Thermopolis, who is leaving the Legislature. So far, Republicans Ed Cooper of Ten Sleep and Linda Weeks of Basin and Democrat Theresa Livingston of Worland have formally entered the campaign; Agar has endorsed Weeks as his replacement.

  

County commission

Two of the five seats on the Park County Commission — those held by Jake Fulkerson and Lee Livingston — are up for election, and both incumbents are seeking re-election. As of Friday, they faced no challengers.

  

Municipal races

Powell Mayor John Wetzel, who was chosen in 2018 to complete the final two years of the late Don Hillman’s term in office, is running for re-election, this time seeking a four-year term.

Three seats on the council are also up for election this year: Those held by Ward I Council Member Jim Hillberry, Ward II Council Member Floyd Young and Ward III Council Member Lesli Spencer. Young was the only one to have filed for re-election as of Friday.

Over in Cody, incumbent Mayor Matt Hall is seeking a second term in office.

  

Federal races

With senior U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., retiring at the end of the year, a host of candidates have entered the race.

On the Republican side, the contenders include former U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis of Cheyenne, Converse County Commissioner Robert Strong of Douglas, Josh Wheeler of Casper, Mark Armstrong of Centennial, Star Roselli of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Michael Kemler of Lander. For the Democrats, contenders include Kenneth Casner of Elk Mountain, Merav Ben David and Yana Ludwig of Laramie, James DeBrine of Evansville and Rex Wilde of Cheyenne.

U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney is being challenged by Republican Blake Stanley of Banner and Democrats Carl Beach of Saratoga and Carol “Kitty” Hafner of Box Elder, South Dakota.

Republicans and Democrats will face off against one another in the Aug. 18 primary election. Each party’s top pick will then advance to the general election ballot on Nov. 3. In the case of the nonpartisan municipal races for mayor and city council seats, the top two candidates will advance — assuming there are two candidates.

Filings for nonpartisan special district positions — such as for the Northwest College and Park County School District No. 1 boards — open in August.

Election 2020

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