Gun control is a sensitive phrase in the Second Amendment-loving state of Wyoming.
Senate District 10 Republican candidate Keith Kennedy is going after his Laramie opponent for not taking a strong stand on gun control, accusing Gary Crum of being in the “squishy middle” on the issue.
“The left works tirelessly to undermine our right to keep and bear arms, and those in the squishy middle fail to defend this right,” Kennedy said. “If elected, I will always work unabashedly and unapologetically to preserve and protect this right.”
What Kennedy is referring to is a platform statement offered on Crum’s website, where it says he "is dedicated to enhancing public safety measures, including responsible gun control policies.”
The website goes on to say that Kennedy also supports “community policing, and supporting law enforcement to create safer neighborhoods and communities.” Crum also supports "ensuring rights and access for hunting, fishing and recreation areas."
He did not respond to a request for comment from Cowboy State Daily.
Second amendment rights are a passionate issue for Kennedy, who said he was mainly inspired to run because of outgoing Republican state Sen. Dan Furphy’s votes against a bill that would have banned gun free zones in Wyoming. That bill was passed by the Legislature, but then vetoed by Gov. Mark Gordon.
“I look at it (firearms) as any other tool, and in some ways especially for women, an equalizer,” he said.
Crum is a former football star from the University of Wyoming who went on to have a successful career in banking.
Who’s Kennedy?
Kennedy grew up ranching and living in northern Colorado but moved to Wyoming in the mid-1990s when he bought an agricultural business.
Kennedy believes his experience in politics is the biggest difference between he and Crum.
“Having been around and worked in that system for the last 20 years, I really feel like I can hit the ground running and be very effective as a legislator from Day One,” he said. “I’ve watched enough freshman legislators to know there’s a pretty steep learning curve there.”
During the 2002 legislative session, he served as an unpaid intern for agricultural affairs under former Gov. Jim Geringer.
Since that time Kennedy hasn’t stopped lobbying for agriculture. Most recently, Kennedy has worked as an executive director for the Wyoming Agri Business Association, Wyoming Wheat Marketing Commission and also lobbies for the Wyoming Crop Improvement Association and the Wyoming Wool Growers Association.
He has a bachelors and masters degree from the University of Wyoming and Kansas State University in Agricultural Business and Management.
On education, Kennedy said he supports school choice, the concept of giving parents public dollars for their children to receive private education. Following the templates of other states is an approach Kennedy believes Wyoming should take.
“I believe that parents should be the ultimate authority on what happens as far as education in primary and secondary,” Kennedy said.
He’s also pro-life on abortion and opposed to letting transgender females participate in female sports.
On the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Kennedy said he was disappointed with a line-item veto Gordon made that would have required UW to cut DEI-related programming at the school, but is pleased the school cut its DEI office this spring.
“I would tend to reframe that DEI discussion to merit, excellence and intellect rather than DEI,” Kennedy said.
Acquisition-Value Taxation
When it comes to property taxes, Kennedy said he would support initiating an acquisition value-based residential property tax system, which is taxation based on the purchase price of a home. This is one of the most far-reaching suggestions that has been made to counteract rising property taxes in the state. The proposal likely couldn’t go forward unless a constitutional amendment going before the voters this fall to create a separate class of taxation is passed.
He mentioned how a property was recently sold across the street from him that he expects will raise his property values by 15% to 20% in the next year because of that sale alone.
Although this type of taxation model would obviously save individual homeowners money, Kennedy believes it would also provide more predictability for local governments and schools that receive property tax revenue.
“I think we need to get some certainty,” he said.
The Race
Kennedy aligns closer politically to members of the farther right Wyoming Freedom Caucus than the more moderate Republican Wyoming Caucus, but he said he doesn’t plan to seek an endorsement from either group.
Endorsing Kennedy’s campaign are former state legislators Bill Haley and Glenn Moniz.
The winner of the SD 10 primary will take on Democrat Mike Selmer in the general election. Selmer is the chairman of the Albany County Democratic Party.
Democratic candidates were competitive in the last three elections in SD 10, but Republicans still won out.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
