Without an incumbent in the race, four Republican candidates stepped forward in a bid to fill the vacancy in Powell House District 25 in the Wyoming Legislature.

No Democrats filed for the office.

Powell’s HD 25 seat has been occupied by Rep. Dan Laursen since 2015. He is one of three GOP candidates in a primary election runoff for State Senate in Senate District 19.

The Republican nominee for the open seat in HD 25 will be decided in Aug. 16 primary voting between these four: David Northrup, Chris Good, Troy Bray and Rex Rich. 

Campaigning by HD 25 candidates has been aggressive and pointed.

Northrup is the only one of the four with previous legislative experience. He served four terms in the House representing HD 50. His Willwood area was moved from HD 50 into HD 25 in redistricting legislation passed by the 2022 Legislature.

Northrup describes himself as a Reagan era Republican. He said, “I am a lifelong resident of Park County, and I have an extensive record of public service. Because I have lived here almost my entire life, I share the same concern as many people in the district. Their concerns are my concerns. I am accessible, and I will listen to all of the people in my district.”

Bray, a GOP precinct committeeman in Powell’s 9-7 precinct, counters that Wyoming is at a turning point. 

“We can either continue with the same establishment that has failed us for 40 years, or elect new, innovative conservatives who can lead us to a better future,” he said. “I am a proven, no compromise conservative and a leader in the movement. I have stood firm for liberty and individual rights and will continue to do so.”

Rich urges voters to research the candidates. “Look at voting records, look at character and ask yourself which candidate will be most effective in representing your needs, positions and beliefs in Cheyenne.”

“I won’t be the candidate that allows emotion to rule and be censured for inappropriate actions and speech,” Rich said. “I won’t be the person who claims to be a conservative, but caucuses and votes with Liberals/Democrats. I won’t be the candidate that attempts to sue if I’m not elected.”

Good stresses that he is the candidate for HD 25 because the district needs a strong leader with negotiating skills.

“I feel the voters need to ‘hire’ more great leaders into government. I am someone that is willing to be accountable and visionary with the ability to be approachable on the issues that affect my ‘boss,’ the voters,” he said. “I am not a career politician, and I don’t want to be a career politician. I think I have something to offer the people of this district and the state of Wyoming right now in my life.”

Concerns for inflationary pressures on citizens and the threat by the federal government to Wyoming’s economy are on the minds of all HD 25 candidates.

Good said people are “just plain struggling,” with budgetary issues — skyrocketing property taxes, energy prices and food prices, along with “the feds’ continuous bashing of fossil fuels that are the backbone of Wyoming’s economy.”

Rich highlighted the negative effect of property tax assessments which have increased locally by 30% to 50%, “causing a great hardship on local taxpayers, especially the ones on fixed incomes like myself.”

“This issue is particularly troublesome as the Wyoming State Constitution limits options for easing the tax burden,” Rich added.

Bray took aim at the federal government. “Individual liberty is being attacked by Washington, D.C., and our state government should be an uncompromising force defending citizens’ rights,” he said.

Northrup put finding a reliable source of funding for all levels of education in Wyoming at the top of the list of issues facing the Legislature, while also targeting the dramatic rise in property taxes. “This tax especially hits the low income and the ones who have a fixed income,” he said. “There has been some talk about having a slowdown in the rise of property tax. There is also some talking about a homestead exemption.” 

All four HD 25 candidates support the anti-abortion trigger law on hold in Wyoming. Good and Northrup believe it should take effect the way it was passed with exemptions in the case of rape or incest.

Rich said, “It isn’t perfect, but is an excellent starting point. I would like to see the exceptions for cases of rape and incest go away. The argument that the baby is less human because of how it was conceived is just a smokescreen.”

Bray makes no exceptions. “I cannot and will not compromise when it comes to defending the rights of our most innocent and defenseless citizens. I do not support the murder of babies,” he said.