Candidates begin lining up for office

Posted 5/21/26

The first week of the candidate filing period has drawn numerous contenders for local offices. Here’s a rundown of the filings through Wednesday afternoon.

     

Wyoming …

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Candidates begin lining up for office

Posted

The first week of the candidate filing period has drawn numerous contenders for local offices. Here’s a rundown of the filings through Wednesday afternoon.

     

Wyoming Legislature

In Senate District 19, Rep. Paul Hoeft and former Sen. R. J. Kost, both Powell Republicans, are vying to replace retiring Sen. Dan Laursen.

Additionally, a pair of Powell Republicans — Mayor John Wetzel and Matt Legler — are seeking to replace Hoeft in House District 25.

On the western side of the county, in House District 24, Quin Blair is challenging Rep. Nina Webber of Cody in the Republican primary. To the east, in the House District 26, Rep. Dalton Banks of Cowley is being challenged by Addison Aagard of Lovell and to the south, Allen Hogg of Meeteetse and Marshall Keller of Thermopolis are running to succeed retiring Rep. John Winters, R-Thermopolis. They’re all Republicans.

In House District 50, David Hill, of Cody, is the only declared Republican candidate in the race to replace Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, who is running for secretary of state.

     

Park County government

It’s a crowded race for three available seats on the Park County Commission, with 10 announced candidates so far. Incumbent commissioners Scott Steward of Wapiti and Lloyd Thiel of Clark have filed to run, alongside Duncan Bonine of Powell, former Commissioner Bucky Hall of Cody, current County Treasurer Barb Poley, Nicole Forsberg of Clark, Andrew Whitlock of Powell and Joseph Baugher of Cody have all filed so far. Tim Lasseter and Karin Richard of Cody have said they plan to run, too.

Coroner Cody Gortmaker of Cody and Sheriff Darrell Steward are also seeking reelection and Assessor Terry Call, who was appointed to the role last year, is running for his first full term.

In the race to replace retiring Clerk Colleen Renner, her first deputy, Hans Odde of Cody, faces Jimmy Rush of Wapiti. Anne Lawler of Powell, who currently serves as Poley’s top deputy in the treasurer’s office, is unopposed so far in her bid to move into the lead role. And former Deputy Park Clerk of District Court Lynell Preston of Cody is unopposed in running for that office.

All of the county candidates are Republicans.

     

Powell City Council

In Ward 3, longtime Councilman Tim Sapp is being challenged by Laurie Larsen and Justin Waterworth.

Ward 2 Councilman Zane Logan is unopposed so far in his reelection bid, while John Sinskie is challenging Ward 2 Councilwoman Kristy Fields to serve out the final two years of the late Councilman Floyd Young’s unexpired term.

As of Wednesday, no one had filed to replace Ward 1 Councilman Steve Lensegrav, who has said he plans to leave the council at the end of the year.

The filing period for partisan and municipal offices closes on May 29.

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