LYMAN — Candidates running for office faced a crowd of about 100 people Monday night at the election forum sponsored by the Bridger Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The forum followed a meet-the-candidates at the ground’s pavilion where people could talk and ask questions of individual candidates. Then the group went to the Lyman rodeo arena where the candidates were in the arena, answered questions from the wagon platform and the crowd could sit in the stands.

Who are you, why are you running and what are your qualifications gave each candidate a chance to introduce themselves to the crowd.

Prior to the start of the questions of the candidates for county commissioner, information was provided on two candidates running for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Mike Enzi. Local rancher and former state legislator Ron Micheli spoke about former U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, who is running for the seat. Micheli said, Lummis is “easily the most qualified” of the candidates seeking the seat. He then noted Lummis’ past service both to the state on the state level and to the state on the national level

Chloe Neilson spoke about the qualifications of political newcomer Donna Rice, who is a fourth generation Wyomingite, attorney, and small business owner, and said Rice supports the president and the constitution.

In addressing the candidacy of Democrat Yana Ludwig, Laramie, Dana Pertermann said, Ludwig was “passionate about public land…a gun rights owner.”

In addition, Jeffrey Haggit, Mountain View, of the Constitution Party was given a chance to address the group prior to the questioning of local candidates. He is the state chair of the Constitution Party and is a candidate for the U.S. House

Carl Beach, a Democrat from Saratoga, said he remembered Mountain View handing his high school football team a 60-7 loss on Mountain View’s Homecoming game. He said it was important to shorten the supply chain between ranchers and their markets. Beach is a candidate for the U.S. House.

Wyoming HD-19 Republican candidates

The end of the forum focused on the two candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the seat of Wyoming House District –19. The seat is currently held by Danny Eyre of Lyman, and he is seeking his third term. Eyre is being challenged by Karl Allred of Hilliard, south of Evanston; and is the chair of the Uinta County Republican Party. Eyre is a third-generation Bridger Valley native and worked at Bridger Valley Electric for 35 years and served at the director his last 15 years. He stressed he has worked with the state legislature and built his “credibility” through the two terms he has served.

Allred, in addition to his work with the County Republican Party is on the state’s central committee for the party and helped create the Party platform. He works for Exon Mobile and lives “17-18 miles south of Evanston.”

Both men expressed a desire to work for the constituents of HD-19, but there was a distinct difference in how they eye the state’s revenues. Eyre spoke of the revenue shortfall, which the governor has placed at $1.7 billion over the next two years and the need to pare the budget. Allred said the state had money, but the state didn’t allocate the funds in the way they should be spent as the state overspends on many issues.

Allred said the state “needed to quit wasting money,” and referenced the money spent on the renovation of the state capitol. He said it was to cost $50 million and cost over $400 million by the time it was finished, “and not one single contract was placed for bid.”

Eyre said Wyoming has a “severe budget deficit and it could be worse…over a $500 million (cutback in revenues) on the last four years which is a precipitous drop.” He added this has been increased due to COVID-19 and the continuing decline in the energy sector.

Uinta County Commissioner candidates

Seven of the eight candidates running for the seat, which will be open on the Uinta County Commission spoke at the election forum Monday night in Lyman. Chris Katzl was unable to attend. All men are running on the Republican ticket. No Democrats filed for the seat. The winner will replace Craig Welling, who isn’t seeking re-election.

The candidates who attended included Charles Anderson, S. Clark Anderson, Jerry Carrol, Wendell Fraughton, Brent Hatch, Jesse Lind and Wade Lowery. All are new to the arena except Fraughton who previously served on the commission.

After their introductions they were asked questions as to their vision for increasing the economy of Uinta County, addition of the 1-cent optional sales tax, how they would work to make the unifying the county vision as a county vision instead of what is often thought of as two visions – west county and east county vision.

Basically, long time or native residents of Uinta County, all expressed the desire to serve county residents and to make the county a viable, good economical area in which to live and work.