Get out and vote in the primary election

The Wyoming primary election is next Tuesday, and in the Cowboy State, this is our big election. Around here, the primary is usually the most contested race, while the general election is often not very exciting.

This year, all across the state, the primary is going to be big. I can’t remember an election year when we had this many candidates for just about every office.

In the federal office category, we have five Republican and two Democratic candidates for U.S. Senator. And there are 10 Republicans and two Democrats running for U.S. Representative. The state office races are just as crowded. There aren’t a lot of Democratic candidates for any of those seats, but on the GOP side, there are four running for Governor, four more for secretary of state, and three for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

With that many candidates, it gets hard to decide who to vote for. I have debated with myself whether or not I should endorse any of the candidates here on this show, but I ultimately decided not to. I stand by my statement from a few weeks ago that every voter should figure out for themselves which candidate they should vote for. Don’t let anyone else – and especially not big-name famous people who don’t even live in Wyoming – tell you who to vote for. Look at what that candidate stands for, and vote accordingly.

There’s a lot at stake for us as hunters and anglers, or just outdoor enthusiasts. There’s a lot of pressure to sell off public land, which would drastically reduce our access to places to go, among several other issues. Don’t let a small number of people decide who gets to make those decisions. Get out and vote, and encourage your friends and neighbors to vote, too. Make sure whoever we elect is actually the majority choice this year.