Sublette schools lose

by Cat Urbigkit

In their trip to the polls Tuesday, Wyoming voters decided to enact three constitutional amendments, including one that will result in a loss of money to the schools in Sublette County.

According to the unofficial election results from the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, Amendment B regarding recapture funds passed with a vote of 104,965 to 74,185. The other two amendments, pertaining to the permanent mineral trust fund and state scholarship programs, appear to have succeeded as well, with even more support than that offered for Amendment B.

At the local level, Joel Bousman will join incumbent Bill Cramer on the Sublette County Commission. Bousman was top vote getter with 1,793, followed by Cramer’s 1,464. Independent Judi Adler received 886 votes; Courtney Skinner received 698; and Bob McCarty received 474.

The race for the two available seats on Sublette County School District No. 9 board was close in Sublette County, with Glade Jones getting 420 votes in Sublette County, and Rich Anderson and Dick Kalber tying with 391 each. That meant that Lincoln County voters decided the issue, with Jones receiving 244, Anderson receiving 131, and Kalber 53. Jones and Anderson will now serve on the school board, with Jones the top vote getter.

U.S. Senator Craig Thomas easily won re-election over challenger Dale Groutage. It was a close race, but it appears U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin won re-election over Democrat Gary Trauner.

Democratic incumbent Dave Freudenthal easily won re-election over Republican Ray Hunkins. Even in Republican-heavy Sublette County, more voters cast votes for the Democrat than for the Republican candidate. Hunkins never carried the majority vote in any Wyoming county. The final unofficial count was Freudenthal 131,576 to Hunkins’ 56,071.

In other top state races, Max Maxfield won the Secretary of State seat; Rita Meyer will be the new state auditor; Joe Meyer will move into the state treasurer’s office; and Jim McBride won re-election to his current position as superintendent of public instruction.