Trio of Wyoming Lawmakers Running For Secretary of State

Following the recent announcement that Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanon won't seek re-election this year, at least three well-known Wyoming legislators have thrown their hats into the ring for the office.

More candidates could still jump in the race with the official filing period for Wyoming's primary election running through Friday.

On Tuesday, State Senator Tara Nethercott [R-Laramie County] filed to run for the office.

Nethercott, who is a Cheyenne attorney, has represented Senate District 4 since 2017, chairs the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, and is also a member of the legislature's Management Council. She currently is also a member of several other committees, including the Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions committee. Nethercott got her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wyoming in 2009. She is pledging to ensure election security if she is elected. The Secretary of State is charged with overseeing Wyoming elections.

Rep. Chuck Gray [R-Natrona County] has represented House District 57 since 2017 and sits on several committees, including the powerful House Revenue Committee. Gray is known for being a staunch conservative who sponsored a resolution that would have called for a constitutional amendment mandating term limits for state officeholders in the 2021 session. He has also been an active sponsor and supporter of pro-life legislation. Gray last year announced that he was running for Wyoming's lone congressional seat against Rep. Liz Cheney. But he dropped out of that race when former President Donald Trump endorsed Harriet Hageman, keeping his promise to do so if Trump endorsed another candidate.

The first candidate to declare for the office was Sen. Dan Dockstader [R-Lincoln, Sublette, Teton counties], who is currently President of the Wyoming Senate and previously served as Wyoming Senate Majority Floor Leader in 2019-2020. Dockstader chairs three legislative committees--the Management Council, Senate Rules and Procedures Committee, and the Joint Legislative Task Force on Department of Health Facilities. Dockstader this session sponsored Senate File 114, a bill on Employer COVID 19 vaccine mandates and exemptions. The bill would have among other things, required employers to provide exemptions for any employer-required COVID vaccine mandate. The bill died in committee despite winning a 27-2 majority introductory vote in the Senate.

As of Wednesday morning, no Democrats had yet filed to run for the office.