Throne weighs in

Democrat gubernatorial candidate visits Newcastle

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Mary Throne, the Democratic candidate for governor, visited Newcastle on Monday, spending time with those eating lunch at the Weston County Senior Center and speaking during an AARP meeting. 
Throne told the people who gathered to hear her speak that she chose to run for governor for a number of reasons, including the condition of education, energy and health care in the state. 
Throne grew up in Campbell County before moving to Cheyenne in 1992. She worked as a natural resource attorney in Cheyenne and also served 10 years in the Wyoming House of Representatives. 
“As a legislator, Mary worked across the aisle to build consensus in tackling the biggest problems our state faces,” according to a handout she distributed. 
Throne noted during her speech that she believes being a Democratic governor with a Republican Legislature will give her the opportunity to again work across the aisle to solve Wyoming biggest problems. 
“I am hoping we are not too far down the road to intense partisanship,” Throne said. “There is a long history in Wyoming of having Democratic governors with a Republican Legislature, and things usually worked better.” 
Throne said that she believes a Democrat as chief executive forces legislators to communicate with one another to solve the state’s problems. 
Hyper-partisanship is one of the more “philosophical” reasons she chose to run, Throne said. In the past few years, she said, Wyoming representatives have appeared to her to care about loyalty to party more than what is best for the state. Throne mentioned the state’s decision not to expand Medicaid expansion as one of those issues. 
“That is another reason I got into this race,” Throne said. “Expansion would cover about 20,000 uninsured people in Wyoming, and the state has lost roughly $577 million by not taking this money.” 
According to Throne, a state match to the federal funds is now required should the legislature agree to expand Medicaid. Previously, the federal government funded 100 percent of such Medicaid expansion, she said. 
“This is one place I have a completely different standpoint than (Mark) Gordon (Republican candidate for governor). He says it is not a good idea for Wyoming, and I see no reason to support that decision,” Throne said. “Even if there are some problems with expansion, nothing is perfect. Medicaid is probably the No. 1 reason I am running on the policy side of things.”
Throne also said that education funding is another reason she wants to be governor. According to Throne, the recent cuts made by the Legislature to the education budget is making it “harder and harder” for Wyoming schools to compete.