All of the candidates hoping to represent Park County in the Wyoming Legislature are set to square off at a Monday debate in Cody.

Hosted by the Park County Republican Party, the event is set to run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Cody Library’s Grizzly Hall.

Six different legislative races will be featured at the debate: Senate districts 19 and 20 and House districts 24, 25, 28 and 50. Each race features two Republican contenders, who will face off with one another.

The party said all 12 candidates have committed to attending — marking perhaps the only time that they’ll all appear together ahead of the Aug. 20 Republican primary election.

“It’s to inform the electorate about the candidates, and it’s a venue for the candidates to get their views out to the electorate,” Park County GOP Chairman Martin Kimmet said of the debate. “And it gives both those groups an opportunity to see what’s going on, because an educated electorate is the best thing that we can have.”

Kimmet said he has his own opinions on the races — he has personally signaled support for more conservative candidates — but Monday’s debate is not aimed at pushing any particular contenders.

“It will be fair and impartial,” he said.

For those who attend the event with a favored candidate in mind, “they’re going to come there to see how the other person stacks up and see what the differences are,” Kimmet said, “and maybe some people will change their minds; I don’t know.”

According to the party, the following candidates have committed to attending:

SD 19: Sen. Tim French (R-Powell) and challenger Landon Greer of Cody;

SD 20: Sen. Ed Cooper (R-Ten Sleep) and challenger Tom Olmstead of Basin;

HD 24: Nina Webber of Wapiti and Matt Hall of Cody, who are vying to replace Rep. Sandy Newsome (R-Cody);

HD 25: Rep. David Northrup (R-Powell) and challenger Paul Hoeft of Powell;

HD 28: Rep. John Winter (R-Thermopolis) and challenger Kevin Skates of Thermopolis; and

HD 50: Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody) and challenger David Hill of Cody.

House District 26 Rep. Dalton Banks (R-Cowley), who is unopposed, is also hoping to attend.

There are no Democratic, third party or independent candidates running for any of those offices, but they could theoretically still join the race.

—By CJ Baker