August 21, 2024 |
Photo – One of the polling locations in Carbon County – Bigfoot99 file photo
Here in Carbon County, of the 5,473 registered voters, 3,056 participated in yesterday’s election.
Incumbent Senator John Barrasso received nearly 1,000 more votes than his opponent, Reid Rasner. Barrasso won with 1,642 to Rasner’s 697. Holtz picked up 159 votes.
Congresswoman Harriet Hageman garnered 2,038 votes compared to challenger Steven R. Helling’s 446.
In Rawlins, the District 15 race for a seat in the Wyoming Legislature, Pam Thayer defeated Terry Weickum. Thayer had 728 votes to Weickum’s 213. Political newcomer Sheryl Foland came in third with 190.
The House District 47 was uncontested with Representative Bob Davis of Baggs picking up an easy win.
In the Carbon County Commissioner’s race, incumbents John Espy and Sue Jones received the first and third most votes, with County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett taking second. Jones drew 1,219 votes. Jimmy Hinkle came in out of the running with 1,188.
In Baggs, Michael A. McCallister ran uncontested for one of the open council seats. The other seat will be decided by write-in votes.
Caleb Owens and Ryanne Mikesell were chosen to run for the two open council seats in Dixon.
In Elk Mountain, Angie Hobbs and Joseph Neel beat out Cemetery District President Brett Larson for the town’s two open council seats.
Encampment voters chose Susan Munson and Stas Banach to run for the two open town council seats in their town.
In Hanna, Orville ‘Oats’ Briggs will be the new mayor. Current Mayor Jason Nordquist came in out of the running with 25 votes. The winner, Briggs, narrowly beat out Jerry Walter, 48 to 47.
Also in Hanna, Ellen Works-Freeman and Nathan Seegmiller received the most votes for the two open town council seats. However, Hanna residents cast 146 write-in votes.
The Medicine Bow mayor is also up for election this year. Current Mayor Justin George beat out his opponent, Troy Maddox Senior, with a total of 49 to 26 votes.
Two four-year and two two-year town council seats are up for election in Medicine Bow. Sitting council members Kristi Wickizer and Lee Cook ran unopposed for the four-year seats. Current council members Trevor Strauch and Crystal Mayfield were unopposed for the two unexpired two-year seats.
In Riverside, Linda Brown and Mark Helwick will run for the two open four-year council seats. Lisa Lorenz ran unopposed for the single unexpired two-year seat on the Riverside town council.
In Saratoga, Cory Oxford and current town council member Mike Cooley were the top vote-getters to fill the two four-year council seats. The candidates received 332 and 305 votes respectively. Nanette “Chia” Valdez garnered 118 votes.
Sitting Saratoga council member Bub Barkhurst received more votes than his opponent, Sophia Borg, for the two-year seat that Barkhurst was appointed to earlier this year.
In Sinclair, Michelle Serres and Brennan Dunlap will run for the two open council seats in November. Nancy Sanders ran unopposed for the single two-year seat.
In Rawlins, Derek Elliott received the most votes in Ward One, with 102. De Shann Schinkel was second with 94 votes. Former Rawlins city council member DeBari Martinez garnered 40 votes in the race.
In Ward Two, current city council member Darrill Garner won his party’s nomination with more than twice as many votes as his closest rival. Garner received 283 votes compared to Stanley Bugg’s 108.
Ward Three in Rawlins is currently represented by Chris Weisenburg. In yesterday’s primary election, Ward Three voters elected Terry Patterson by a narrow margin. Patterson narrowly beat Patrick Gonzales with a total of 140 to 136 for Gonzales. Weisenburg came in third with 101 votes.
With the primary races decided, Carbon County voters will head to the polls in November to select the next round of federal, state, and local representatives. The creation of a taxpayer-funded hospital district to support Memorial Hospital of Carbon County will also be on November’s ballot.
