Three candidates are running to replace Chuck Gray as Wyoming's secretary of state. The seat has turned into a bit of a game of musical chairs. That's because Gray is leaving his role to run for the U.S. House seat, which is being vacated by Harriet Hageman, who's now running for Senate, as Cynthia Lummis is retiring.
Brian McCarty is the Democrat. Where he lacks political experience, he told Wyoming Public Radio, his time spent working for a Fortune 500 company, General Electric, as well as a train shipping company, prepares him to manage the office that oversees business registrations and elections.
Tamara Trujillo is the Constitution Party candidate. She served one term as a state representative from Laramie County, and she also has a lot of business experience working in the oil and gas industry as an administrator.
The third candidate is Republican Robert Short. He’s in his third term as a Converse County commissioner. He has worked in several industries and internationally as well.
All three said they want to ensure no fraud is happening amid Wyoming’s booming rate of new business filings, thanks to the state’s privacy laws and low filing fees. They all argued their varied business backgrounds prepare them to do that best.
When it came to voting, they shared different visions for what constitutes fair access and ballot security.
Trujillo said she was 50-50 on continuing to share voter data with the federal government as her predecessor has. Short said absolutely not. Brian McCarty agreed.
The secretary of state, as one of the five statewide elected officials, sits on the State Board of Land Commissioners and some other investment boards.
McCarty emphasized the importance of protecting public lands. Meanwhile, Trujillo and Short agreed that the priority needs to be protecting private property rights.
