SWEETWATER COUNTY –– Sweetwater County will see a new sheriff and county clerk in 2027 following the results of Tuesday’s Primary Election.
Richard Kaumo defeated five other candidates to be the next Sweetwater County Sheriff in 2027. According to unofficial results from the Sweetwater County Clerk’s Office, Kaumo earned 1,767 votes to win the Republican nomination for the November General Election, where he will be uncontested. Interim Sheriff Rich Fischer took second with 1,527 votes, Ozzie Knezovich placed third with 1,355 votes, Amanda Buller came in fourth with 1,053, Matthew Wharton placed fifth with 936 votes, and Randall Tryzbiak took sixth with 368.
Kaumo said he’s feeling good after the win and called it not the most stressful moment of his life, but a close second.
“This has been my dream, my entire career and I’ve done everything in my career to get me to this point,” Kaumo said. “This was the year I was running.”
Kaumo was asked what he plans to do first if he wins the general election in November.
“Get the waves back down, this is my sixth election in the sheriff’s office and there’s always dust that needs to settle and waves to get back down,” Kaumo said. “Remember what our mission statement is, our vision and our values. Get back out there and let’s get to work.”
When asked whether Fischer would stay with the sheriff’s office under Kaumo, he said the decision is up to Fischer.
“I will state it this way, it’s his choice but he is more than welcome to come back,” Kaumo said.
When Fischer was appointed after former Sheriff John Grossnickle vacated the position in June, Fischer’s original position at the SCSO was vacated. He will need to be hired back into the department once his term as interim sheriff ends.
Sweetwater County Clerk Cindy Swenson will not have a third term in the position after being narrowly defeated by former clerk Dale Davis. Davis earned 3,265 votes to Swenson’s 3,227, defeating her by 38 votes. Swenson originally defeated Davis in 2016 when he was the county clerk. Davis was originally a Democrat and changed his party affiliation after being hired to work at the Laramie County Clerk’s Office, becoming Laramie County’s chief deputy county clerk. Davis moves on to an uncontested race in November.
Green River City Councilwoman Sherry Bushman joins Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners incumbents Island Richards and Keaton West in moving on to the General Election. West received the most votes with 4,403, while Richards received 4,271, with Bushman receiving 3,349 and Walter Majko earning 2,290. The trio will be joined by sole Democrat Wayne Severson in November in competing for three available positions on the board.
