TORRINGTON – Campaign signs in flower plots, the lawn and lobby of the Eastern Wyoming College Fine Arts Auditorium greeted attendees Tuesday at the Republican Governor Candidate Forum, hosted by the Goshen County Republicans. Inside, policy positions, promises and taxpayers filled the room for a moderated question-and-answer session.
Candidates took the podium to address a variety of issues, ranging from the future of Wyoming’s water to their personal beliefs on conservatism and sexual identity. The following is a brief overview of a selection of questions and candidate responses. To view the full forum, go to the Goshen County Republicans Facebook page.
After introductions, each contender specified the three platforms of the Wyoming Republican Party he or she believes are most important.
Physician and rancher Taylor Haynes listed pro-life principles, the right to keep and bear arms, and the belief all citizens are equal and equally protected under the law as his top three. Investment manager Foster Friess touted individual responsibility, the importance of local government over federal control, and the “fundamental unity between Christianity and democracy.
“We have an opportunity to be less regulated, better educated … all of us working together can make our state … greater,” he said, emphasizing the significance of kindness in society.
Sheridan businessman Bill Dahlin called a focus on the Constitution “a fundamental necessity” – specifically, the freedoms it grants and the pursuit of happiness. He also highlighted the economy.
“Our economy touches all of us,” he said. “Our challenge is to improve our state … so we can keep our young people here.”
Dahlin recommended relying on constitutional principles, while thinking “outside the box,” saying the state needs to consider industrial hemp as a viable option.
Goshen County native Harriet Hageman referred to the 10th Amendment – which delegates power to the people – for her response, stating, “A government that governs the least, governs the best.”
Wyoming State Treasurer Mark Gordon emphasized responsibility and faith; the Second Amendment; and the necessity of secure borders.
Cheyenne businessman Sam Galeotos said the right to life is “the number one area I would focus on,” adding his priorities include limited government and private property protection.
“It is intolerable in Wyoming for the government to seize our property,” he said.
All candidates agreed protecting Wyoming’s water is a crucial issue moving forward. Water rights attorney Hageman promised to spend the rest of her life continuing her multiple-decade fight for Wyoming’s water and called for a need to be prepared; while Haynes emphasized the importance of water possession and storage; Friess suggested reevaluating the endangered species that call the state’s waterways home to ensure the animals are, in fact, in need of protection; Dahlin brought up drinking water purity and drought, adding industrial hemp is drought-resistant and may provide a solution; Gordon discussed accessibility and legal preparedness, calling water “the most important priority we need to take care of,”; and Galeotos said the state needs to ensure it is “utilizing the rights and allocations we have today … (otherwise) it’s an open door to justify why the water should not stay here.”
On the topic of creating new, additional protective classes, specifically relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, in order to attract new industry and business to Wyoming, Gordon said he does not support the idea of selecting one’s gender; Galeotos stated he believes Wyoming’s current laws are sufficient and protect all citizens; Haynes called special laws “unnecessary” adding, “What we need to do is be nurturing and kind while we seek help for those that are confused, but what we need not do is change our basic moral codes …”; Friess said he does not believe adding certain protective classes is necessary to grow Wyoming’s economy, and said in a Christian society, compassion was important for all; Dahlin cited the Wyoming Constitution, stating, “All human beings will be treated equal … I believe that,”; and Hageman also referenced the state’s governing document, and called a citizen’s right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion “paramount” … “I believe in equal rights, not special rights,” she said.
