Chuck Gray

The Park County GOP Central Committee is in favor of incoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray and opposed to the efforts by some legislators to remove election duties from the position.

At its Sept. 1 meeting, the county GOP central committee approved a resolution in support of Gray and of the office as currently constituted.

“The Park County Republican Party wholeheartedly supports the winner of the Republican Party Primary and endorses Chuck Gray as the next Secretary of State  for the State of Wyoming,” the resolution reads in part. 

The resolution comes after the Joint Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions Committee, in an Aug. 25 meeting, considered a motion to craft legislation to remove the election duties from the secretary of state and create an Elections Commission.

The motion to have the Legislative Services Office draft legislation for the October 2022 committee meeting passed 7-3, with co-chairman Dan Zwonitzer speaking specifically of concerns regarding Gray, a Casper legislator who has expressed concerns about election security in the state, despite statements by current Secretary of State Ed Buchanan saying elections in the state have been secure.  

“The Park County Republican Party condemns the recent effort of the Joint Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions Committee to remove the Elections duties of  the Secretary of State by creating an appointed Elections Commission,” the resolution states. “Representative Zwonitzer is preemptively seeking to remove the Secretary of State’s  elections duties over personal concerns and direct contradiction to the will of the people.”