Neiman will run against Lindholm

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Only a few days after the May 29 deadline for filing for federal, state and local elections, Crook County Republic Party Chairman Chip Neiman announced that he will run against incumbent Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, for the Republican nomination for the Wyoming House District 1 seat in the Aug. 18 primary election. No Democrats have filed.
In a press release provided to the News Letter Journal, Neiman said that he has developed a reputation in his community for his insistence on remaining fiscally responsible and that he plans to continue that if elected to the state office. He added that his leadership locally shows his commitment to traditional family values, private property rights, fiscal responsibility and the Constitution. 
Born and raised in both Crook and Weston counties, Neiman said that he sees a bright future in House District 1 and that his love for his community drives him to do what is best for the people here. 
“We must reduce the size of government. I believe we are responsible to the taxpayers to respect them through conservative and responsible use of their hard-earned money,” Neiman said in the release. “I have been involved in agriculture all my life and understand intimately the struggles of making ends meet and will take that understanding with me wherever I go. Taxes take away from freedom and uncontrolled spending undermines us as a nation. New taxes are an unacceptable alternative to fiscal responsibility and restraint. Debt is a master we do not want. We must live within our means and stop spending money we don’t have. I have proven this in my life and will not change.” 
Also representing Weston County at the state level is Rep. Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle, who will run unopposed in his bid for re-election. 
Neither of the state senators representing Weston County are up for election in 2020, according to the Wyoming Secretary of State Office. Only the Senate seats for even numbered districts are up for grabs this year. The two state senators representing Weston County are Ogden Driskill and Cheri Steinmetz.
Filing for the two open Weston County Commission seats, according to Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock, are incumbent Ed Wagoner as well as Don Taylor and Vera Huber. Commissioner Tracy Hunt will not be running for re-election. 
The only other county position on the ballot in 2020 is that of the Weston County clerk of district court current clerk Tina Cote is the only individual who filed to run for this seat.  
In Newcastle, City Clerk Greg James said Don Steveson, who lost a mayoral bid in 2016 by write-in candidate and current mayor Deb Piana, and Councilwoman Pam Gualtieri are competing for the mayor’s job. Running for the three open seats on the City Council are incumbents Tom Voss, Michael Alexander and Roger Hespe. Darren Downs is a fourth challenger. 
On the national level, 10 Republicans, including Cynthia Lummis are seeking the Republican nomination to fill seat of Sen. Mike Enzi, who had announced that he will not seek re-election. According to the Wyoming Secretary of State website, six Democrats are vying for the Democratic Party nomination for the Senate seat.
Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican, announced in January that she will seek re-election to Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. Running against Cheney for the Republican nomination is Blake Stanley, of Banner. Seeking the Democratic nomination are Carl Beach of Saratoga, Carol Hafner of Box Elder, South Dakota, and Lynette Greybull of Fort Washakie.