November 5th General Election
Here's a rundown of your SVR General Election ballot, where to vote, and more...
The following General Election primer is focused on information Star Valley Ranch (SVR) voters can expect to see on their November 5th ballot. For those of you who are not SVR residents but are also looking for Wyoming General Election information, please check out the complete 2024 General Election Candidate Roster on the Secretary of State’s website. You can also find additional voting information on statewide polling places, voter registration details, and ID requirements by visiting Wyoming Votes.
Greetings Star Valley Ranch (SVR) voters! On Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 Wyoming will conduct its November General Election. [Click here for a look at your SVR sample ballot.] To follow is a primer covering the candidates awaiting your decision at the polls. A separate post will be forthcoming on the three ballot initiates you’ll also have to decide on.
SVR is District 2, Precinct 10 and your polling place will be upstairs at the SVR Town Hall located at 171 Vista Drive. Polls will be open from 7am to 7pm on November 5th. [Note there is an elevator in Town Hall for anyone who cannot navigate the stairs.]
This post focuses on candidates running at the county and local level rather than those running for higher offices. A quick summary of the candidates running for United States Congress and for the Wyoming State Legislature appears at the end of this post. Now, let’s get to it!
Lincoln County Board of Commissioners
One Lincoln County Commission seat is up for election in 2024. Incumbent Jerry Hansen (Republican, Afton) was defeated in the August primary election by Mel Shumway (Republican, Afton). No Democrats filed to run for Lincoln County Commissioner, therefore, Mel Shumway is the only candidate you will see on the November General Election ballot, other than a write-in option.
Mel Shumway—Mel Shumway grew up in Lincoln County and is a business owner with his work taking him from Alpine to LaBarge. In his bio printed in the August 14th edition of the Star Valley Independent’s (SVI) 2024 Voter Guide (prior to the primary) Mel made this statement: “Community is a big focus of mine, and I see the challenges that our communities face. As your county commissioner, I can bring my negotiation, cooperation, and decision-making skills to work for your community.” [Note I have not been able to find a shareable link for the SVI 2024 Voter Guide yet, however, if I do I’ll update this post accordingly.] In the meantime, here’s a YouTube video interview with Mel Shumway conducted by the Lincoln County Republican Party on July 25th, 2024.
Judicial Retentions
There are five judges on the 2024 General Election ballot who are up for retention. In Wyoming, after having been selected by the Governor to serve as a justice or judge, the law requires justices or judges to periodically appear on the general election ballot and stand for retention by a vote of Wyoming citizens. Judicial retention elections are non-partisan. Wyoming’s five Supreme Court justices must stand for retention every eight years. District Court judges in Wyoming stand for retention every six years, and Circuit Court judges face a retention vote every four years. This means that voters go to the polls during each general election and decide whether or not those justices and judges standing for retention should remain in office. In 2024, here’s what we have learned thus far about the justices and judges on our November General Election ballot:
Justice John G. Fenn—Wyoming Supreme Court. Appointed by Governor Mark Gordon and sworn in on January 18th, 2022, Justice Fenn is a former 4th Judicial District Judge. Read more about him in this story from The Sheridan Press published in February 2022 shortly after his swearing in. You can also read his 2024 Judicial Performance Assessment from the Wyoming State Bar here.
Justice Kate M. Fox—Wyoming Supreme Court. Currently the Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, Justice Fox was appointed by Governor Matt Mead and was sworn in during January 2014. Read more about her in this story from Wyoming Public Media published in July 2021 shortly after she became the Chief Justice. You can also review her 2024 Judicial Performance Assessment from the Wyoming State Bar here.
Judge James Kaste—District Court, Third Judicial District (Uinta County). A former Wyoming Attorney General’s Office Deputy Attorney General, he was appointed to the bench by Governor Mark Gordon in October 2022. Read more about him in this story from SweetwaterNow published in September 2022 shortly before his appointment. You can also review his 2024 Judicial Performance Assessment from the Wyoming State Bar here.
Judge Michael L. Greer—Circuit Court, Third Judicial District (Evanston). Judge Greer was appointed in July 2006. It often is difficult to find information about these lower court judges, however, I did come across this article in the Uinta County Herald from February 2020. You can also review his 2024 Judicial Performance Assessment from the Wyoming State Bar here.
Judge Gregory S. Corpening—Circuit Court, Third Judicial District (Afton). Judge Corpening was appointed in May 2019. Read more about him in this article from the SVI published shortly after he took the bench. You can also review his 2024 Judicial Performance Assessment from the Wyoming State Bar here.
Municipality—SVR Town Councilperson
In Wyoming, all Town Council and Mayoral positions are non-partisan, thus candidates are listed under the Official Nonpartisan section of the General Election ballot.
In 2024 two SVR council seats are up for election, both 4-year terms. The four candidates seeking these seats are:
Taylor Ellis
Martin Occhi
Lars Robinson
Katie Toolson
Read more about all of these candidates in this previous post on the Election 2024 section of Close to Home 307.
Lincoln County School District #2—Board of Trustees
Lincoln County School District #2 (LCSD2) encompasses all of Star Valley as well as Cokeville and areas south (other than Kemmerer). LCSD2 is administered by a seven-member, elected, Board of Trustees. Board members are elected with a representative from one of five districts and two at-large positions. You can find the Trustee Area Map here (Star Valley Ranch is Trustee Area #4). Each elected board member serves a four-year term. One of the essential roles of the Board of Trustees is to implement and manage a governing process that oversees the entire school organization. Here are the candidates for the LCSD2 Board of Trustees on the November General Election ballot:
LCSD2 At-Large Trustee—One seat up for election
Homer Bennett—Homer Bennett (of Afton) currently serves on the LCSD2 Board of Trustees. Here is a link to his bio.
The following was provided by Homer Bennett: My Name is Homer Bennett and I am running for re-election to the Lincoln County School District #2 Board of Trustees. I retired as a former social studies teacher, coach, and administrator from Star Valley High School in 2019. I came to LCSD#2 with my wife Tina as a first year social studies teacher in 1987. During my career I have been a classroom teacher, department head, athletic coach, activities director, assistant principal, and finally principal of Star Valley High school. Since starting my teaching/coaching career I have been involved with several state-level Wyoming professional organizations and Boards that have allowed me to network with representatives of other school districts as well as local and state legislators and allowed me to advocate for our school district on a state level. We have a special school district and I feel it is important to understand that from Cokeville to Star Valley Ranch, to Alpine we have communities with different circumstances and unique needs. However, I also believe that some of the most important things that bind us together have been the high expectations and values of our communities, the accountability employees and school board members are held to, and the long history of preparing our kids to face the challenges they will meet after graduation. These, in part, are what have kept my wife Tina and I here so long. Going forward, I feel I have the experience necessary to help address the educational challenges kids in our school district face and I would appreciate your vote in the upcoming election. Thank you.
Jake Long—Jake Long has lived in Star Valley for over 20 years and is a business owner. He resides in Etna Wyoming according to this article in SVI covering the primary election results.
The following was provided by Jake Long: “I’ve been in Etna for around 24 years , I’ve been a small business owner for close to 21 years. My family and I run a heavy equipment rental and repair company. I was fortunate to meet my wife shortly after I moved here (a local). Her name is Bobbie, we have 2 kids Chet and Brooklynn. I’m seeking a seat on the school board for love of community and to help the students. I want to protect the kids from outside unwanted influences. I want the students to all be served and given any and all opportunities the district can offer. I also believe that as trustee we have the responsibility to be fiscally responsible and transparent with tax payer dollars. I want to be involved in something the community is involved in.”
LCSD2 Area #1 Trustee—One seat up for election
Lenn Johnson—Lenn Johnson (of Cokeville) currently serves on the LCSD2 Board of Trustees. He was appointed to the position in April 2024 to fill the remainder of Wade Hirschi’s term after Hirschi moved out of the district. Here is a link to his bio.
The following was provided by Lenn Johnson: “As a rancher, I know the value of hard work, dedication, and putting the needs of others before my own. If elected, my top priority will remain that our students receive the best possible education, preparing them for success in an ever-changing world. I believe that our students should always come first, and I am committed to making decision that will benefit them and our district as a whole. I would be honored to represent you and work toward a brighter future for each of our students.”
Kade W. Wilkes—is a recently retired teacher from Afton. I’ll update this post with more about Kade as soon as I obtain any additional information.
LCSD2 Area #3 Trustee—One seat up for election
Jed Johnson—Jed Johnson (of Auburn) currently serves on the LCSD2 Board of Trustees. Here is a link to his bio.
The following was provided by Jed Johnson: “It has been a great privilege to serve on the Lincoln County School District #2 Board of Trustees for the past two years. I am seeking the opportunity to continue on this board. I was born and raised in Auburn and am a graduate of Star Valley High School. I have had the blessing of serving as a teacher for 33 years; 30 of those being in Lincoln County School District #2. During that time I taught as an elementary educator in Thayne, Etna, and Osmond, retiring in 2019. All five of Lorie and my children graduated from Star Valley High School. We currently have six grandchildren attending school in our school district and one recently graduated from Swift Creek High School. While I was teaching I was amazed at the wonderful students and the supportive parents in this district. I believe that the vast majority of our Star Valley and Cokeville teachers are amazing educators. We need to do everything in our power to retain those teachers. We also have an amazing support staff including paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cooks, custodians and all other personnel. I am committed to keeping the best teachers and staff possible. I will strive to do as much as I can to keep the control of our school district at a local level, with emphasis on our local conservative values. I do not have an agenda or any “axes to grind” in running for the school board. I just want to serve the people of Star Valley and Cokeville to the best of my ability. Thank you.”
Tom McKinney—Tom McKinney resides in Thayne. I’ll update this post with more about Tom as soon as I obtain any additional information.
Logan Probst—Logan Probst also resides in Thayne. I’ll update this post with more about Logan as soon as I obtain any additional information.
LCSD2 Area #4 Trustee—One seat up for election
Darnell Simpson—Current Chairman of the Board, Darnell Simpson of Thayne is running unopposed for Area #4 as the only candidate who filed for the seat. Here is a link to his bio.
Star Valley Independent (SVI) Media recently hosted a LCSD 2 Board of Trustees Candidate Night. Click below to watch the video on SVI Media’s YouTube channel.
[Note: I have reached out to all of the LCSD2 candidates listed above via email asking for bio information as well as a statement on why they are running for the LCSD2 Board of Trustees. Any responses received will be added to this post as they come in.]
Star Valley Conservation District Supervisor—Rural Candidates
The Star Valley Conservation District (SVCD) is governed by a five member Board of Supervisors. The mission of the SVCD is to pursue the conservation, wise use and protection of our natural resources and encourage Star Valley residents to do the same in order to preserve our quality of life. Each supervisor serves a four-year term. Of the five positions, three are rural, one urban, and one is at-large. Two rural seats are up for election on the November’s General Election ballot. The candidates are:
Daniel C. Erickson—Daniel Erickson is a currently serving SVCD Supervisor. I’ll update this post with more about Daniel as soon as I obtain any additional information.
Rollin Gardner—Rollin Gardner is the current SVCD Chairman. I’ll update this post with more about Rollin as soon as I obtain any additional information.
[Note: I have reached out to SVCD staff via email asking for candidate bio information and statements. Any responses received will be added to this post as they come in.]
North Lincoln County Hospital District Trustees
The North Lincoln County Hospital District (NLCHD), also known as Star Valley Health, is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Trustees. Three seats are up for election on the November General Election ballot. The candidates are:
Craig Coles—Craig Coles lives in Afton per his candidate filing information. He is the Director of Gas Operations for Lower Valley Energy. I’ll update this post with more about Craig as soon as I obtain any additional information.
Victoria DeCora—Victoria DeCora of Afton is a former Alpine, Wyoming mayor (2007 to 2010).
Here’s Victoria Decora’s video candidate statement courtesy of SVI Media:
Jeff England—Jeff England of Smoot has lived in Star Valley since 2013 and is the Chief Financial Officer of Silver Star Communications. You can read his Silverstar leadership bio here (scroll about half-way down the page).
Here’s Jeff England’s video candidate statement courtesy of SVI Media:
Clint Erickson—Clint Erickson of Afton is a sitting member of the NLCHD Board of Trustees and was sworn in February 28th, 2024. Read more about him in this article published earlier this year in SVI.
And, here’s Clint Erickson’s video candidate statement courtesy of SVI Media:
Shawn Merritt—Shawn Merritt lives in Grover per his candidate filing information. He is a teacher at Star Valley High School.
Here’s Shawn Merritt’s video candidate statement courtesy of SVI Media:
Chad M. Packard—Chad Packard lives in Bedford per his candidate filing information.
Here’s Chad Packard’s video candidate statement courtesy of SVI Media:
National & State-Level Contests
State Races for United States Congress
Current U.S. Senator John Barrasso (Republican, Casper) will seek another 6-year term in Congress. He is being challenged by Scott D. Morrow (Democrat, Laramie).
U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (Republican, Cheyenne) seeks another Congressional term on the House side. The incumbent is being challenged by Kyle G. Cameron (Democrat, Cheyenne), Richard Brubaker (Riverton, Libertarian), and Jeffrey Haggit (Mt. View, Constitution).
Wyoming State Legislature—Senate District 16
In the Wyoming State Legislature, sitting Senator Dan Dockstader (Republican, Afton) is the only candidate who filed from either party for Senate District 16 covering Star Valley (to include SVR) and southern Teton County.
Senator Dockstader first served in the Wyoming House from 2007-2008 and was then elected to the Wyoming Senate where he has served since 2009. Senator Dockstader is the current Publisher of the Star Valley Independent and has worked for SVI in one form or another since 1985. Here’s a link to his Legislator Profile.
Wyoming State Legislature—House District 22
On the House side of the legislature, House District 22, incumbent Andrew P. Byron (Republican, Jackson) was the only candidate who filed for the office. House District 22 covers the northern half of Etna, Star Valley Ranch and Alpine, as well as Hoback Junction and portions of southern Teton County.
Representative Byron was born and raised in House District 22 and was elected to serve in the Wyoming House of Representatives in 2022. He currently serves on the Revenue Committee as well as the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee, and on the Select Natural Resource Funding Committee. Here’s a link to his Legislator Profile. You can also read more about him on his website at this link.
Note: Links to candidate websites or social media sites are provided as part of this post if available. If no candidate website or social media site was found, links to recent interviews or candidate articles published in Wyoming news outlets are provided instead.
That’s all for now on the upcoming General Election. I’ll continue to update this page as more information becomes available. In the meantime, I hope you found this post useful and please email me if you have questions and I’ll do my best to find answers. Have a great day!
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