Wyo election sees low turnout

The 2014 midterm elections saw a handful of upsets, but when the unofficial election results were released by the Secretary of State, many incumbents retained their positions. 

This year’s election also saw remarkably low voter turnout, with only 170,925 voters turning out. Election data on the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website shows 2014 as having the lowest voter turnout in the period of 1996-2014.

The Secretary of State reported that 65 percent of registered voters turned out.

Top five electeds

Governor Matt Mead received 62 percent of the vote to secure a second term in office. Mead captured more than twice the number of votes of his Democratic opponent Pete Gosar. 

“It’s certainly an exciting time,” Mead told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “I have such a love for Wyoming that I view it as a great privilege to work hard for another four years. I want to continue to have Wyoming have a major influence not only on the state and the West but for the whole country.”

For Superintendent of Public Instruction, one of the most competitive races of the election, Jillan Balow garnered a 61 percent majority over opponent Mike Ceballos. 

After her win, Balow told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, “I’m very excited to move Wyoming forward and to move education forward.”

Ed Murray handily captured the Secretary of State position, with 77 percent of votes. Constitution candidate Jennifer Young received a meager 12 percent and Libertarian Kit Carson won 11 percent of the vote. 

Running unopposed, Mark Gordon and Cynthia Cloud were elected as State Treasurer and State Auditor, respectively.

Also on the ballot for Wyoming voters was a constitutional amendment that would have allowed up to 20 percent of University of Wyoming trustees to reside out of the state. The measure failed, with 70 percent of voters in opposition.

National election

On the national level, Cynthia Lummis will serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for another two years, beating out Democratic opponent Richard Grayson by over 70,000 votes.

Mike Enzi is also one of 52 Republican senators elected to the U.S. Senate this year. Enzi captured 72 percent of votes, compared to the 18 percent achieved by Charlie Hardy, the Democratic challenger.

“Thank you so much to the people of Wyoming for your support, prayers and friendship that helped us throughout this campaign and ensured our victory,” Enzi commented after the win. “Individuals across the state helped organize events, distribute yard signs and bumper stickers and advocated for me to their friends and neighbors. Without you, this win would not have been possible, and Diana and I are grateful to share this success with each every one of you.”

He added, “Over this past year, we’ve logged well over 15,000 miles, traveled to nearly every community in our state and met with thousands of Wyoming citizens. It’s been a powerful reminder of the people and places that I am so proud to fight for in Washington.”

U.S. Senate

In the U.S. Senate, Republican candidates won 52 seats in the Nov. 4 election, giving the party control of both houses of Congress. Republicans now also hold 242 of the 435 seats on the U.S. House of Representatives.

However, groups across the country aren’t certain that the win will solve the gridlock in Washington, D.C.

Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association, commented, “Washington may look different come January, but fundamentally, things have not really changed. There is no sign that the gridlock of the past few years will diminish. Like many Americans, corn farmers are frustrated that their voices go unheard and so little gets done. We welcome both new and returning members of Congress back to Washington, and we urge them to set aside partisan politics and meet their obligation to conduct the nation’s business.”

Wyoming legislature

Results from Wyoming’s legislative races showed a majority of incumbents regaining their seats in both the House and the Senate. 

Upsets were seen in only two seats – in District 12, where Republican Harland Edmonds beat out incumbent Democrat Lee Filer, and in District 17, where Democrat JoAnn Dayton beat incumbent Stephen Watt.

In District 48, unofficial results show Republican Mark Baker with 51 percent of the vote – a mere 27 votes over opponent Joe Barbuto. Official results will confirm the win. 

Results are listed below. An (i) following the name of a candidate indicates that they are an incumbent. Those districts not listed below did not have a challenger. 

House of Representatives

District 6 – Richard Cannady (i), 83%

District 9 – David Zwonitzer (i), 57%

District 10 – John Eklund (i), 75%

District 11 – Mary Throne (i), 56%

District 12 – Harlan Edmonds, 53%

District 17 – JoAnn Dayton, 58%

District 18 – Fred Baldwin, 76%

District 19 – Allen Jaggi (i), 70%

District 22 – Marti Halverson (i), 62%

District 23 – Andy Schwartz, 56%

District 26 – Elaine Harvey (i), 62%

District 31 – Scott Clem, 79%

District 33 – Jim Allen, 52%

District 36 – Gerald Gay (i), 54%

District 37 – Steve Harshman (i), 73%

District 41 – Ken Esquibel (i), 60%

District 42 – Theodore Blackburn, 66%

District 45 – Charles Pelkey, 53%

District 46 – Glenn Moniz (i), 53%

District 49 – Garry Piiparinen (i), 54%

District 59 – Bunky Loucks (i), 63%

District 60 – John Freeman (i), 55%

Senate

District 7 – Stephan Pappas, 59%

District 11 – Larry Hicks (i), 63%

District 15 – Paul Barnard (i), 66%

District 35 – Cale Case (i), 59%

Results in this article are the unofficial General Election results provided by the Wyoming Secretary of State at sos.wyo.gov. Official election results will be available online at a later date.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup Managing Editor Saige Albert compiled this article. Send comments to saige@wylr.net.