The Laramie County Republican Party has called on the state GOP to officially censure a Park County Republican because of an obscene email he sent to a senator from Cheyenne last month.
The Laramie County party’s central committee, during a meeting Tuesday, voted to send a resolution to the state party calling for the state party to immediately censure Park County Republican Precinct Committeeman Troy Bray for an email he sent to Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne.
In the email he sent last month, Bray criticized the senator for how she handled a bill that would have banned the state from requiring its employees to get the coronavirus vaccine.
“If I were as despicable a person as you, I would kill myself to rid the world of myself,” said the email, a copy of which was obtained by the Casper Star-Tribune. “You sicken me. Thank you for ensuring that the people of Wyoming are subjected to tyranny once again. F— YOU C—.”
Bray signed the email with his titles as a precinct committeeman and as secretary of Park County Republican Men’s Club, the latter of which he resigned from.
In her response to Bray’s initial email, Nethercott did not mention either Bray’s suggestion that she commit suicide or the obscenity the message contained. Instead, she thanked the precinct committeeman for reaching out to her to share his opinions.
The resolution from the Laramie County GOP called Bray’s conduct “foul” and said that he both dehumanized and “vilely degrad[ed] Nethercott with the words he used.
“It is incumbent upon us as members of the WYGOP to condemn such abhorrent behavior done by a fellow member of the WYGOP under signature of his official title in the Park County Republican Party,” the resolution said.
Leaders of the Park County Republican Party decided not to take action against Bray for his actions.
State Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, who serves with Nethercott, applauded the county party for its defense of the senator.
“I’m proud of the LCGOP for standing up for Senator Nethercott,” Brown told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. “The comments from Mr. Bray show the worst side of politics. Politicians face scrutiny every day and that is expected. Inciting hate and calling for such egregious behavior is reprehensible at best and absolutely grotesque at worst. LCGOP continues to lead the way with civil discourse and appropriate responses.”
After the contents of Bray’s message were published by the Casper Star-Tribune, the Wyoming House Speaker Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, and Senate President Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, called on Bray to resign his position within the Park County Republican Party.
“Attacking a state legislator through use of violent, lewd and derogatory language cannot and will not go unanswered in Wyoming,” Barlow and Dockstader wrote on Sept. 22, calling on the county and state parties to join them in seeking Bray’s resignation.
Bray refused to do so.
“I have resigned as Secretary of the Park County Republican Men’s Club after being asked to by the executive committee, but I will not resign as precinct committeeman,” he said on Facebook. “I have also received a bit of pressure from the leftists/ RINO class of scum, including a gentleman calling my employer demanding that I be fired.”
In the same social media post, he again apologized to Nethercott for the language he used, calling it “inappropriate”.
“The cowardice and pettiness being shown by you and your supporters proves every other word of my e-mail. I will not be bullied, nor will I allow bullies to win. Have a wonderful day,” Bray said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Wyoming GOP has not yet censured Bray.
