Governor candidate Throne looks for ideas, not labels

WORLAND — Wyoming governor candidate Mary Throne stopped in Worland Friday to encourage early voting, speak to future voters at Worland Middle School and visit the Worland Senior Citizens Center.

Throne, who easily won the Democratic party nomination in the Aug. 21 primary election, said she doesn’t like labels and the governor’s race is the perfect race for that. Traditionally in Wyoming, she said, voters vote for the best person, regardless of party, for governor, noting the many Democratic governors the state has elected.

Throne was also quick to point out that Wyoming has not elected back-to-back Republican governors since 1966.

“I’m not too partisan and I feel the state has become too partisan. It’s too much about what the party says and not what’s best for Wyoming,” Throne said. She said she did not fill out any Democratic Party pledges.

“I have a long history of opposing the last administration,” Throne said, specifically regarding restrictions and regulations.

“I don’t get hung up on labels. I want to know if an idea is going to work,” Throne said, regardless if it is a Republican or Democratic idea, liberal or conservative idea.

She said focusing on the idea and not who pitched the idea is how she operated as a state legislator and how she will operate if elected Wyoming’s next governor.

“I like to find solutions,” she added.

Prior to sitting down with the Northern Wyoming Daily News for an interview at Worland Middle School, Throne gathered with Washakie County supporters at Pioneer Square for an early voting pep rally. Then those in attendance marched to the courthouse to go ahead and vote on the first day for absentee voting in Wyoming.

After the interview, Throne participated in a political presentation for the Worland Middle School eighth-grade social studies class (see related story). She then visited the Worland Senior Citizens Center and then headed to Thermopolis for another early voting rally.

WMS PRESENTATION

Throne said she was excited to be meeting before the eighth-graders Friday. “It’s a great opportunity too get students engaged. I volunteered for campaigns when I was in eighth or ninth grade. This race is about them and their future,” she said.

“I like to do what I can to encourage them to not be cynical, but idealistic and involved,” Throne said. She said her three sons watched her campaign and serve in the Wyoming Legislature, starting at the ages of 10, 8 and 5.

ISSUES

Throne said there are several issues that she continues to hear about from constituents as she has campaigned. They include:

•Education. Throne said she wants to ensure that future students get the same quality of education that her sons did. She said Wyoming has a good system in place but when oil dipped, legislators began bashing education and had she been in the legislature she would have publicly opposed the proposed amendment to “destroy education.”

“How are we going to attract young families to the state without offering quality education?” she asked.

•Public lands. “We have to maintain access to public lands. As a legislator I made sure that county commissioners were cooperating agency status.”

•Health care costs and access. “Absolutely we should have expanded Medicaid. It hurts hospitals and providers and hurts those who would’ve qualified,” Throne said. She added that Wyoming lost $577 million in federal money and the state does not have a problem taking federal money for other things like roads.

•Connectivity/internet access. Internet access is the key to Wyoming’s future, Throne said, because it can create opportunities for business. Along with internet access is good cellular coverage. “We need to be taking advantage of the Universal Service funds,” she said.

Throne said she has loved traveling around the state during both the primary and now the general election campaigns.

“This race is about doing things the same old way or moving ourselves forward,” Throne said, adding that is about leadership and leading Wyoming out of the boom and bust cycle to ensure communities can thrive.

“I want to help make communities places where the next generation wants to live,” she said.