Flock of newcomers to challenge incumbents

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
A total of four write-in candidates will appear on the ballot for the 2020 general election on Nov. 3, according to Weston County Clerk and official election officer Becky Hadlock. 
“Upton had eight (write-in candidates) meet the requirements; however, only three could be on the ballot for Upton Town Council. Nicholas Trandahl, Robert Willis and Jeffery Hargrave will appear on the ballot,” Hadlock said. “Newcastle only had one meet the requirements for Newcastle City Council – Tyrel Owens.” 
Write-in candidates must receive a minimum of three votes and agree to proceed after the primary election. All other guidelines applying to candidates also apply to write-in candidates, per Wyoming law. 
“Each write-in candidate is notified by the clerk within 48 hours, after the canvassing is complete, and they must reply within five days,” Hadlock said. “Each candidate, who accepts going forward, must file their application, pay the filing fee and submit the required campaign reports.” 
According to Hadlock, Trandahl received a majority of the write-in votes in Upton with 44. The Weston County Gazette assistant publisher and editor had announced his write-in bid via Facebook the week before the Aug. 18 primary election. 
The News Letter Journal was unaware of any announced write-in bids from Willis, Hargrave and Owens, but all three accepted their nominations and will appear on the general election ballot, according to Hadlock. 
Trandahl, Willis and Hargrave will join Upton Town Council incumbent Justin Norman in the race for the two available council seats. Norman garnered 285 primary votes. 
Owens will appear on the ballot with incumbents Roger Hespe (436), Thomas Voss (475) and Michael Alexander (512), as well as newcomer Daren Downs (542), on the general election ballot. Three seats on the council are up for grabs in November. 
Newcastle will have a new mayor after the Nov. 3 general election. Councilwoman Pam Gualtieri (508) out-polled longtime councilman Don Steveson (352), but both will appear on the general election ballot. 
In what proved to be the closest race for votes in the Weston County primary, incumbent Ed Wagoner (1,098) and newcomer Don Taylor (1,077) are assured of seats on the Weston County Commission in 2021 after defeating Vera Huber (1,074) in the primary. 
Rounding out the local and state races for Weston County will be incumbents Tina Cote for Weston County clerk, Rep. Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle, for House District 1 and newcomer Chip Neiman, R-Sundance, for House District 2, who defeated majority whip  Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance.
On the national scene, President Donald J. Trump is seeking reelection for his second term against Democrat nominee Joe Biden. Other national offices  on the Nov. 3 ballot are the U.S. Senate seat currently held by the retiring Sen. Mike Enzi and the sole U.S. congressional seat held by Liz Cheney. 
Incumbent Cheney will face Democrat candidate Lynette Grey Bull in the general election for the U.S. House seat, while Republican and former Rep. Cynthia Lummis will face University of Wyoming professor and Democrat nominee Merav Ben David for the U.S. Senate. 
 
 
WCSD No. 1 incumbents all seek reelection
A total of eight candidates will face off for five seats on the Weston County School District No. 1 board of trustees in the 2020 general election on Nov. 3, according to Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock. 
At the close of business on Aug. 24, the last day that school board candidates could file for the general election, Hadlock reported that incumbents Dana Mann-Tavegia, Ronnie Mills, Tom Wright, Tina Chick and John Riesland had all filed to run. Three additional candidates – Rachel Blumenthal, Sharla Dowding and Billy Fitzwater – will also vie for one of the five available seats. 
According to Hadlock, only two candidates, Diana White and Curtis Rankin, had filed to run for the Weston County School District No. 7 board of trustees. Cindy Dysart, in the district’s business office, previously reported that three seats were up for grabs in the Nov. 3 general election.