Wyoming voters head to the polls Tuesday

WORLAND – Along with the contentious election being fought between Republican businessman Donald Trump and Democrat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Wyoming voters will decide a variety of public office positions on Tuesday, along with a newly-introduced state amendment.

For the state’s at-large congressional district, incumbent Cynthia Lummis (R) did not seek re-election in 2016. Liz Cheney (R) will face Ryan Greene (D), Lawrence Struempf (Libertarian), and Daniel Clyde Cummings (Constitution Party) in the general election on Tuesday. Cheney defeated seven other Republican candidates in the primary election, while Greene defeated Charlie Hardy to win the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 16 primary.

State legislators

A total of 15 seats out of the 30 seats in the Wyoming State Senate are up for election in 2016. For the Senate District 20 seat being vacated by Gerald Geis (R), Democrat Mary Jane Norskog of Thermopolis ran unopposed in the Wyoming State Senate District 20 Democratic primary. Republican Wyatt Agar of Thermopolis defeated Worland residents Bob Bayuk and Ron Harvey in the District 20 Republican primary. Norskog and Agar will face each other for the seat on Tuesday.

All 60 seats in the Wyoming House of Representatives are up for election in 2016. Representing District 27, incumbent Mike Greear (R) will face Democrat Robert McDonough Jr. Both Greear and McDonough, both of Worland, ran unopposed in the August primary.

Jean Petty (D), Jamie Flitner (R), both of Greybull and Joyce Collins (Constitution) of Lovell are running in the District 26 general election.

Howard Samelson (D) and incumbent Nathan Winters (R), both of Thermopolis are running for HD 28.

Local races

For the position of Mayor of Worland, Jim Gill and Keith McDonald will face off in the general election after Worland voters narrowed down Gill and McDonald as their top two mayoral candidates from competitors Jerry Alexander, who received 149 votes, Kreg Lombard, who received 140 votes and Jody Thibodeaux, who received 53 votes. Gill received 569 votes and McDonald 376 August’s primary. Current mayor Dave Duffy did not seek re-election.

Aaron Anderson (R-Ten Sleep) is running unopposed for the lone county commission seat open this year.

Candidates for City of Worland Council are Ward 1 (one two-year seat) Lisa Fernandez unopposed for retention of her seat, Ward 1 (two four-year seats) are Jacquelyn Ernest and incumbent Keith Gentlzer, Ward 2 (two four-year seats) are incumbents Mandy Horath and Dennis Koch, Ward 3 (one two-year seat) are incumbent Loressa Brinkeroff and challenger Cain Torrrez, Ward 3 (one four-year seat) are write-in candidate Mike Neufer and incumbent Marcus Sanchez.

Washakie County School District No. 1 has four four-year terms up. Running are Joe Bishop, Dean Dupree, Jaime Godfrey, Julie Haun, Christopher King, Casey Ray Rice and David Tommerup.

Washakie County School District No. 2 Trustee candidates for the one two-year seat open are Tessia Greet and Mandy Lowry. There are four candidates for the three four-year terms up —Jared Lyman, Terril Mills, Charles Powell and Dan Rice.

Amendment A and other issues

One ballot measure will be addressed on Tuesday, as the Wyoming Constitution currently allows public employee retirement funds and permanent state funds to be invested in equities. Constitutional Amendment A would authorize the Legislature to invest other state funds in the stock market as well, upon a two-thirds approval vote in both chambers of the Legislature. Legislative-sponsored marijuana measures did not make the ballot in 2016.

For approval, the amendment requires a majority of the number of people casting ballots in the election, thus a non-vote is considered a no vote.

Hot Springs County voters will determine the future of the Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, with the ability to vote on creating a hospital district, financed with a series of tax increases (mill levy and special one-cent tax), or to allow the hospital to continue in its current model. Faced with state budget and Medicare and Medicaid cuts, some fear the hospital cannot maintain at its current level, and when allowed three years ago, formed a political action committee to form a hospital district.

In addition to amendments and taxes, voters also will vote on retention of judges including Fifth Judicial District Court Judge Robert Skar. Also up for retention are Wyoming Supreme Court justices William U. Hill, Keith G. Kautz and Catherine M. Fox.

There are also cemetery district, fire district and conservation district trustees up for election Tuesday.

Voters

Registration information provided by the State Secretary’s office shows that there are currently 223,065 registered voters in the state, with 154,394 Republicans, 44,059 Democrats, 1,326 Libertarians, 411 Constitution, and 22,852 independents.

Washakie County has a total of 3,701 registered voters as of Oct. 16, with 2,983 Republicans, 445 Democrats, 17 Libertarians, 6 Constitution, and 251 independents.

Voter registration for the Nov. 8 general election ended on Oct. 24, although you may register to vote with an absentee ballot until November 7 and you may register at the polls. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Washakie County, Ten Sleep voters go to the Senior Center. Worland are voters all vote at the Worland Community Center Complex.