County GOP Party hosts governor debate

WORLAND — The Washakie County Republican Party will be hosting the Big Horn Basin Gubernatorial Debate next Thursday at the Worland Middle School Auditorium.

While the debate is hosted by the local party, they want the debate to be open to any interested voter in the Big Horn Basin, according to party members Jeff Pomeroy and Tami Young.

Pomeroy said Republican governor candidates Rex Rammell and Brent Bien have committed to the debate and a letter from Governor Mark Gordon appears to indicate that he will be in attendance but a formal acceptance has not been received.

The fourth Republican candidate, James Scott Quick, will not be in attendance, according to organizers Jeff Pomeroy and Tami Young.

The debate will run from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is free but since seating is limited in the auditorium, people are asked to get tickets online at bighornbasindebate.com.

“Tickets are free but we need a head count,” Pomeroy said.

The moderator will be Taylor Haynes of Cheyenne who ran for governor four years ago.

Emcee will be Marti Halverson, a former state legislator who represented House District 22 that serves portions of Lincoln, Sublette and Teton counties.

Candidates will have two to three minutes for introductory speeches. Questions will then be posed to the candidates. Young and Pomeroy said the debate committee will be providing a list of questions to the emcee, some of them they have created and the public is welcome to submit questions as well.

Submit questions to the committee by emailing Young at [email protected].

There will be a time limit set for answers and each candidate will have a time for an answer or a rebuttal.

If time allows there will be an informal meet and greet following the debate.

Young said the leadership of the Washakie County Republican Party opted to conduct an early governor debate because the office of governor is “the most influential in the state” as was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Young said that during the pandemic people saw that it was not the federal government that impacted people’s lives but rather it was city council, commissioners and the governors, local government that impacted businesses and individuals.

Pomeroy added that he feels this is the most important governor race in Wyoming’s history. He said all of the candidates have something different to bring to the state and whoever is elected will be directing the state for the next four years.

“We hope to get good answers and a lively debate,” Pomeroy said.