(Wyo.) GOP scoops up 31 flavors

[TransitJohn]

Source: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune

GOP scoops up 31 flavors

By JOAN BARRON
Star-Tribune capital bureau Saturday, June 16, 2007
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CHEYENNE -- A whopping 31 Wyoming Republicans want a seat in the U.S. Senate.

That is the number of candidates who applied for the vacant seat of the late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas by the 5 p.m. Thursday deadline.

Two legislators, a former state House speaker, a former county judge and a former Libertarian who ran for Congress last year were among the final batch of candidates to apply.

“Grassroots democracy is alive and well in Wyoming. We have an engaged citizenry and an eager group of applicants,” State GOP Chairman Fred Parady said in a news release Thursday evening.

Parady said the list includes candidates from 17 of the state's 23 counties, including seven from Natrona County, followed by five from Laramie County. Wyoming's least populated county, Niobrara, also has a candidate in the race.

The roster includes four women and 27 men; nine former legislators; three State Republican Central Committee members; two doctors; nine attorneys; and seven ranchers.

The deadline for applications was 5 p.m. Thursday.

Other candidates on the list released earlier Friday by the state GOP office include state Sen. Cale Case of Lander, Rep. David Edwards of Douglas, former Libertarian U.S. House candidate Thom Rankin of Casper, Laramie attorney John Holtz, rancher Randy Stevenson of Wheatland, Rock Springs attorney Clark Stith, and Paul Kruse of Niobrara County.

Read more: http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/06/16/news/top_story/5a87449849d490ed872572fb00081652.txt

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Should be interesting to see who Gov. Dave appoints.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Holy shit. We can't get more than one or two Dems in Nebraska

who even seem INTERESTED in running for Hagel's Senate seat in '08, and only a couple of Repubs so far. Wyoming has, like, no people to begin with--why do they have such a high per-capita percentage who want to be in the Senate all of a sudden? Is this because this is the easy way into office?

[n2doc]

2. Yes, the easiest. It is an appointment

So they get in with no $$$ and then get all the perks until at least the next election. I would bet if Hagel died the same thing would happen. Or with any appointed Senate seat.

[TwilightGardener]

3. It's like a political lottery!