By Landon Brown, Cheyenne
Dear Editor:
Politics is a weird contact sport. You’re never able to quite see the hits that are coming and sometimes they get you from left field when you’re expecting to use your 9 iron on the hockey rink.
This past week, one of the more interesting debates has surfaced in the race for House District 9. The fact that I have lived in House District 9 for over 30 years seems to be one of the pieces of my candidacy that I never really relied on but does seem to be very pertinent this year.
One of the most asinine comments that I received was that I was not a true Wyomingite because I was born in Fort Collins, CO. Wow – As if I had any control of where I was born into this world, it was due to the fact that there were no OBGYNs in Cheyenne during my mother’s pregnancy. Good argument I suppose if you believe in being that critical of someone’s ability to be a true Wyomingite.
I grew up living on El Camino Drive – just two blocks from the Cheyenne city limits. I attended Dildine Elementary, Carey Junior High, and East High schools. I lived in my family’s house and rode my bike past Devil’s Hill to the Buffalo Ridge swimming pool nearly every day during my summer breaks with my best friends and meeting my friends who lived in the Buffalo Ridge area. I literally grew up in the streets that I now get to represent.
As a teenager, I used to ride dirt bikes where my house currently sits. I pedaled my bike up and down the greenway to 7-11 on Ridge Road on summer days to get a Jolt Cola and pop-rocks. We hung out at the creek and caught crawdads and tadpoles from the underpass at Rawlins and Dry Creek. I may not have been born here, but I sure did spend my entire childhood and the vast majority of my adulthood in this district.
I lived the majority of my adult life here because I loved where I grew up. I wanted to raise a family in a similar fashion to the way my Mom and Dad raised me. I feel comfortable with the neighbors and I know my property is safe and my kids and grandkids can play in the front yard like I used to. I chose to live on the east side of town because I love it. I will always love this side of town and feel at home here.
My knowledge of this district comes from the fact that I grew up here. I have lived here longer than either of my opponents and I have lived in House District 9 for nearly that entire time. I know my neighbors. I know the people that I grew up with that live back here as well. I know their parents that still reside in the homes that I visited as a child. I know House District 9.
My roots run deep for this community and even deeper for my state. I have worked tirelessly to bring a balanced approach to the state’s problems and the sentiment during this election season seems to be “I don’t think you’re conservative enough so you should leave” doesn’t work well with me, especially coming from someone who moved here from out of state.
My name is Landon Brown and I am a proud Republican Representative for Wyoming’s 9 House District and I look forward to being here for years to come.
