Ember Oakley, R-Riverton, has won reelection to a second term in the Wyoming House of Representatives.
Oakley faced off for the second time against Libertarian opponent Bethany Baldes for the House District 55 seat.
Oakley beat Baldes by about 20% of the vote, or roughly 700 votes. In 2020, Oakley had edged Baldes out by a mere 32 votes.
Oakley also is second in command under Fremont County Attorney Patrick LeBrun and specializes in prosecuting sex crimes and domestic abuse cases.
As a freshman legislator, Oakley served on the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees changes to the state’s criminal laws and court procedures.
Going forward, she said she hopes to continue to find ways to support the state’s community colleges.
“Being from Riverton, I know the vital role community colleges play in their respective communities – none better than our (Central Wyoming College),” she told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday.
Oakley said she also is working on solutions to the property tax spikes that have hit Wyoming and Fremont County, and hopes to find “thoughtful solutions to real problems and issues facing Wyomingites, rather than getting into unproductive feuds.
“It’s important for the whole state to listen to the people,” she continued, “and collaborate to develop meaningful policy.”
Oakley said her biggest challenge on the campaign trail was finding the best ways to disseminate “real, solid information” to people.
“In this day of ‘information,’ it’s increasingly difficult to get good information out while simultaneously combating the false information that’s created and spread,” she said.
