By Leo Wolfson, State Politics Reporter
Leo@Cowboystatedaily.com
Gov. Mark Gordon will get another four years leading Wyoming.
“It feels great to have a solid endorsement for the years we’ve been in office and our vision for the next four years,” Gordon told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday night. “Both (first lady) Jennie and I are excited to get back in the harness again and go back to work.”
Gordon was reelected Tuesday with a sizable majority of the vote. He is the seventh consecutive Wyoming governor to be elected for a second term.
The governor dealt with a fair amount of adversity during his first term. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he enacted stricter restrictions and government shutdowns than many other Republican states.
He faced sharp criticism for this action from many of his Republican constituents in Wyoming.
By the fall of 2020, Gordon pivoted to the right, opening Wyoming’s public schools and businesses as well as taking a staunchly conservative stance on immigration.
Despite the criticism he faced for the way he handled the first months of the pandemic, he faced no significant opposition during the general or primary elections.
“It’s because of the great people of Wyoming who knew how to do the right thing,” Gordon said. “It gives us an enormous amount of confidence moving forward.”
Platform
Gordon is a major supporter of diversifying Wyoming’s economy with a wide energy portfolio. He is opposed to shutting down any coal-fired power plants in the state, but also fully supports wind and solar energy projects.
He also has spearheaded issues like improving mental health, bolstering Wyoming’s schools and security along the U.S. southern border with Mexico. Gordon is opposed to Medicaid expansion and legalization of medicinal marijuana.
Gordon beat out Democratic challenger Theresa Livingston and Libertarian Jared Baldes in the general election. In the somewhat closer primary, Gordon beat top Republican challenger Brent Bien.
A disparately organized write-in campaign was run on Bien’s behalf for the general election.
