SWEETWATER COUNTY – Filing for the upcoming election cycle begins Thursday and political hopefuls will be able to file for a number of positions within the Wyoming Legislature, Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners and city and town Councils.
Filing starts at 8 a.m. and runs through May 31. SweetwaterNOW will have a daily breakdown of candidate filings throughout the filing period.
All seven house districts within Sweetwater County will be up for election as the terms for the Wyoming House are only two years. Rep. J.T. Larson, R-Rock Springs, of House District 17 and Rep. Cody Wylie, R-Rock Springs, of House District 39 have both declared their intent to seek re-election. All even-numbered senate districts are also up for election this year. Terms for Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, and Sen. Fred Baldwin, R-Kemmerer, serving in Senate Districts 12 and 14 respectively, are finished at the end of the year as well. Baldwin has announced his intent to retire and not seek election.
For Sweetwater County, two county commissioner seats will be on the ballot, with Republican incumbents Taylor Jones and Mary Thoman both publicly stating their intent to seek re-election.
In Green River, three Council seats will be up for election as the terms of Sherry Bushman, George Jost and Robert Berg end this year. In Rock Springs, four seats will be available due to the terms for Tim Robinson, Rob Zotti, Larry Hickerson and Brent Bettolo ending.
In Granger and Wamsutter, two Council seats will be included on the ballot, while Superior will have two four-year term seats and two unexpired two-year term seats on the ballot.
Two of Wyoming’s three federal offices will also be on the ballot this year, with the terms of Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman expiring at the end of the year. Both have announced re-election campaigns.
Filing for school boards, special districts and the Western Wyoming Community College Board of Trustees begins Aug. 7.