lceditor posted on June 05, 2008 13:07
Last Thursday it appeared possible that only two names would be listed on the primary election ballot for the Big Horn County Commission.
But with Friday’s 5 p.m. filing deadline rapidly drawing to a close, three more candidates stepped into the race to compete for the four-year term now held by Bill Duncan of Basin.
On the Republican side, Duncan is seeking re-election and will receive challenges in the August primary from Ron McArthur of Cowley and Jerry Ewen of Shell, while on the Democratic side, Mary Freund of Basin will compete against Colin Buchanan of Manderson for their party’s nomination.
McArthur, a Lovell native and graduate of the LHS Class of 1960, is a retired school superintendent. He has farmed and taught school in north Big Horn County for 20 years, and also has experience selling real estate. He and his wife Leslie have four children.
McArthur is a member of the Big Horn County School District No. 1 board of trustees, the county’s Planning and Zoning steering committee and its Solid Waste District board.
McArthur said he wants to help curb climbing property taxes and to help “put some teeth” into the updated land plan.
“Taxes go up every year, the valuation goes up … I think this is a wonderful place to live, I want to give something back,” McArthur said.
Duncan could not be reached for comment.
Ewen announced his intent to run for the office and his motivation for doing so last month.
As for the Democrats, Freund, who lives in Basin but works as a licensed nurse practitioner at North Big Horn Hospital, is making her second run for the commission. With more campaign experience, the mother of two believes it is time to become more proactive.
“It’s time to start doing all the things we should be doing for our county,” she said. “We need more people to get involved in city, county and state government.”
Freund is a member of the Big Horn County Drug Task Force and also serves on the rural health board.
The field will be narrowed in August, with only one candidate from each party moving on to the November general election.
Other filed candidates
Candidates have filed for all of the town council seats coming open this term. This is the final list of candidates because the deadline to file was Friday, May 30.
In Cowley, which has two open four-year seats on the council, Diane Badget, incumbent Tim Jones, incumbent Peggy Rasmussen and Dexter Woodis Jr. have filed to run for the open seats on the council.
In Deaver, Paul North is running to fulfill the unexpired term of Steve Kinney on the town council, having already been appointed to the seat several months ago. The term will be two years this go-round. Filing for re-election were Fred Yates and Don Wenstrom Jr.
In Frannie, Brenda Kawano has filed for re-election to her four-year seat on the council and Marty Roedel has filed for a two-year position to which she was earlier appointed.
Incumbent councilmen Brian Dickson and Scott Allred have filed for election to the Lovell Town Council.
In Byron, Alan Bair, incumbent Gilbert Cordova, Patricea Dean, Gary Gruell, incumbent David Hessenthaler, Perry Johnson and Marie McCollam have filed for election with two seats open on the town council.
All mayoral seats in north Big Horn County will not be up for election until 2010.
Also filing recently was Rep. Elaine Harvey, seeking a fourth term in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Harvey is seeking the Republican nomination for the District No. 26 seat in the House, which covers Byron, Cowley, Deaver, Frannie, Lovell, Greybull, Shell, Willwood and the north side of the Emblem area.
Filing for the House District 25 seat in the legislature as a Republican was Dave Bonner of Powell. House District 25 includes Powell and eastern Park County, including the west, Park County side of Frannie.
Statewide filed candidates:
United States Senator (six-year term): Democrat – Al Hamburg of Torrington and Chris Rothfuss of Laramie; Republican – Sen. Mike Enzi of Gillette.
United States Senator (four-year unexpired term): Republican – Sen. John Barrasso of Casper; Democrat – Nick Carter of Gillette and Keith B. Goodenough of Casper.
United States Representative: Democrat – Gary Trauner of Wilson; Libertarian – W. David Herbert of Cody; Republican – Mark Gordon of Buffalo, Michael S. Holland of Green River, Cynthia M. Lummis of Cheyenne and Bill Winney of Bondurant.