A pair of political veterans — Wyoming Republican Party National Committeewoman Nina Webber and Cody Mayor Matt Hall — are squaring off as they vie to become the next state representative for much of the Cody area.

Webber is making her third run in House District 24, after coming up just short of retiring Rep. Sandy Newsome (R-Cody) in the last two cycles.

Webber said she was asked to run again by area residents concerned about “skyrocketing property taxes, indoctrination of children, private property rights, election integrity and the economy/inflation … as they are not being heard.”

“My number one goal will be to listen to what the people want and need in HD24 and take their ideas to Cheyenne,” she said.

As for Hall, he’s looking to serve the public in a new way after eight years leading the City of Cody.

“I care about this community; I want to try and keep doing better by it,” he said.

Hall said one of his goals is to find ways to keep youth in the state — creating an economy where young people can launch careers and afford a home after college. He recently floated the idea of requiring Hathaway Scholarship recipients to stay in the state for a year after graduation to “kind of pay it back.” 

Hall added that he was dismayed as he watched legislators “just at each other’s throats” in last winter’s Budget Session.

“I want to bring some real Wyoming values back to that House and try and pull people back together, so we can get some important work done down there,” Hall said.

Differing takes on division

Republican lawmakers have been bitterly divided between two factions in the House, with more conservative members of the party joining up with the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and more moderate members aligning with the Wyoming Caucus.

Webber said she believes members of the Freedom Caucus and other conservatives are the ones following the GOP platform and representing the party’s grassroots. Webber added that she shares the caucus’ goals of “low taxes, pro-life, pro-[Second Amendment], no illegal settlement plan, no indoctrination in schools, strict adherence to the Republican platform, no mutilation of children, funding law enforcement, pro-oil and gas, no green silliness, etc.”

However, Webber also reiterated that her focus would be on representing the people of HD 24, “and I would be open to what the [different] caucuses have to say.”

As for Hall, he has said his intent is to “avoid the dysfunction, avoid the performance artists, avoid obstructionist behavior” and “do what’s best for the citizens of our state.”

Hall indicated he would seek to work with everyone in the Legislature.

“I’ve worked with all those people [as mayor] to try and get them to understand what’s important for our economy, what’s important for local control … and had some success,” he said, specifically mentioning bills related to municipal revenue.

Keeping constituents informed

Hall said he brought balanced, conservative budgets as mayor while taking care of infrastructure needs and prioritizing public safety. That meant making controversial cuts at times and explaining why they were necessary, he said.

“As a leader and being in the Legislature, those are the calls you have to take and … you’ve got to be able to tell people, ‘No, this is what we had to do … to stay within budget; this is what we had to do so we didn’t have to raise taxes,’” Hall said.

Webber, meanwhile, indicated that she’ll work to be accountable to her constituents and to keep more money in taxpayers’ pockets, “where it belongs.”

At the forum, she said that, “it’s very important not to go to Cheyenne … and then you come back up here and you give us some rigamarole story about, ‘The bill’s too complicated, you wouldn’t understand what happened.’”

“We deserve to be told and have transparency in what’s going on down there,” she said.

Both bring political experience

A former Hot Springs County Clerk, Webber is involved in Republican politics at the national level in her role as the state party’s committeewoman. Beyond frequent travels around Wyoming, Webber said she’s worked with Turning Point Action on get-out-the-vote efforts and is “in touch with Trump’s people.”

“I have developed a huge backing of Republicans and this will help me if elected,” she said.

Like Hall, Webber has been a frequent observer and participant at the Wyoming Legislature in recent years. And like Webber, Hall has been active in GOP politics, serving as a precinct committeeman within the Park County Republican Party.

Race may be settled in primary

Both candidates are vying to replace Rep. Newsome, who, after two contentious battles with Webber in 2020 and 2022, opted not to seek a fourth term.

“When I was first elected I thought six years would be a good amount of time to devote to the Legislature,” Newsome said.

Republican voters will choose between Hall and Webber in the Aug. 20 primary election. Barring the entry of any independent, third-party or write-in candidates, the winner stands to cruise to victory in November’s general election. 

The victor will represent a district that encompasses the western portion of the City of Cody, the North and South forks (including Wapiti, where Webber resides) and the northern half of Yellowstone National Park.