Big Horn County follows suit in statewide races

Big Horn County followed other Wyoming counties in supporting the winning candidates in Tuesday’s Wyoming Primary Election.

The county voted for U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, who overwhelmed the field to win the Republican nomination for one of Wyoming’s two seats in the U.S. Senate, giving Hageman 2,461 votes, unofficially, second-place Sam Mead 744. Jimmy Skovgard received 160 votes, John Holtz 115 and Jill Edwards 109.

Hageman carried the state for the GOP nomination with 83,794 votes to 35,875 for Mead.

Big Horn County also supported Secretary of State Chuck Gray over Steve Friess and eight others for the GOP nomination for Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gray garnered 842 votes in Big Horn County, Friess 736, Kevin Christensen 591, Reid Rasner 396, Jillian Balow 312, David Giralt 236, Bo Biteman 116, Frank Chapman (who withdrew as a candidate) 81, Keith Goodenough 51 and Richard Dodson 44.

Gray won the nomination with 31,222 votes statewide to 25,054 for Friess and 21,632 for Christensen.

Sen. Eric Barlow easily carried Big Horn County in his bid for the Republican nomination for governor, receiving 1,663 votes to 1,150 for President Donald Trump endorsed Megan Degenfelder and 764 for Wyoming Republican Party endorsed Brent Bien.

Barlow received 58,820 votes statewide to 38,739 for Degenfelder and 30,843 for Bien.

The county narrowly supported Robert Short for secretary of state on the Republican ticket. Short received 1,224 votes to 1,175 for Rep. Rachel Williams. CJ Young received 603 votes in the county, Qwenton Eagle Oviatt 154.

Short garnered 53,314 votes statewide to 38,567 for Williams and 17,846 for Young.

Big Horn County also voted for the statewide GOP nominee in the race for state treasurer, preferring current treasurer Curt Meier over challenger Scott Smith 2,183-1,014, and the county overwhelmingly supported Rep. Steve Harshman for superintendent of public instruction on the GOP ticket. Harshman garnered 2,178 votes to 789 for Tom Kelly and 268 for Chad Auer.

Meier won the nomination over Smith 78,702 to 36,613, and Harshman dominated the field, receiving 67,784 votes statewide to 36,624 for Kelly.

State Auditor Kristi Racines was unopposed in her bid for re-election and received 3,106 votes in Big Horn County.

In the Democratic primary, Big Horn County supported James Byrd for U.S. Senate over Billy Benavidez 102-41 and Lisa Kenney for U.S. House over Elena Del Real 105-37. Big Horn County Democrats also supported Ana Cordova over Sergio Maldonado Sr. for superintendent of public instruction 85-51, lining up with state results.

Kenneth Casner was unopposed for the Democratic nomination for governor, receiving 136 votes in Big Horn County, and Bryan McCarty received 131 votes as the lone Democratic candidate for secretary of state.