State Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, and Republican challenger Matt Malcom represent a younger generation of voters that often feels overlooked in politics.
Singh and Malcom, both 27, have been shaped by the 21st century and the policies enacted by two Republican and Democrat presidents.
They make up a group of Americans who vote at some of the lowest rates of any age group and are some of the least represented in public office.
But both Cheyenne Republicans running for House District 61 are bucking that trend in hopes of bringing a fresh perspective to the Wyoming Legislature.
“It’s my job to be that bridge,” Singh said. “To bridge the gap that nobody else wants to.”
Malcom told Cowboy State Daily he sees Singh’s claim as being a bridge as a facade.
“He ran on the principle of being a bridge for Wyoming politics then decided to ally himself exclusively with the Freedom Caucus,” Malcom said.
Who’s Singh?
Singh, 27, is running for his second term after beating Malcom, 27, and another challenger in the 2022 Republican primary. Theirs is one of three rematch statewide.
During his first term in office, Singh staked a claim for expressing Libertarian and conservative views while identifying as a member of the farther right Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Many members of that group have been criticized for not working with others with the same political views, but Singh takes a different approach.
Singh said he’s running for reelection to help bring stability during a particularly tumultuous political time in Wyoming. He considers himself a unifying force in the Legislature, willing to work with everyone, a model he’s taken from the late former U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, who preached focusing on the 80% that people agree on.
He believes political discourse has taken a dark turn and that all legislators need to remember their colleagues were fairly elected by voters to represent them.
“If we can’t get it done here in Wyoming, then we can’t get it done here in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “I’m excited to bring my strong values, but also my level head in my willingness to work with others to the table and get good work done.”
He considers his work with the Democrats some of his proudest moments in the Legislature, working on issues like a restoration of civil rights with Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, and making day care a residential use of property with Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson.
“When issues are not so clear-cut party line, the true humanity of the Legislature comes out,” he said. “You see they care very much about the issues because they care very much about the people of Wyoming.”
Despite being a freshman legislator, Singh said he didn’t back down in debating issues with some of the Legislature’s most veteran lawmakers like Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, and Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne.
“I’ve intentionally thrown myself into difficult situations to see if I can test my metal,” he said. “I want to bring that experience back to the Legislature.”
Singh is also passionate about blockchain, which he considers the most accountable bookkeeping ledger in the history of the world.
He’s a member of the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology, an experience he considers the “most interesting and exhilarating” he’s ever worked on.
Wyoming has an intimate relationship with blockchain, with various high-profile bitcoin mines setting up in the state, and Wyoming-based Custodia Bank being blocked for a master account by the Federal Reserve.
“The Federal Reserve has political interests and it’s not afraid to levy that power against the state to achieve those goals,” he said. “That is the biggest danger we are facing as a society.”
In 2023, Singh passed his first legislation, prohibiting law enforcement for ticketing people for letting their vehicles idle while unattended.
Singh, also a Laramie County Republican Party precinct committeeman, said Malcom has been noticeably absent from local Republican Party politics since the 2022 election. Although Singh stressed that he wants to keep the race civil with his opponent, he added that he won’t hold his Malcom’s “lack of experience against him.”
“I didn’t see Matthew at all, I haven’t seen Matthew for two years,” Singh said. “After the election, he dropped off the face of the Earth and I think if you’re going to run for a Republican spot you need to be involved in the Republican Party.”
Who’s Malcom?
Malcom has some experience in politics, previously serving as an aide to Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, at the Legislature.
He also served full-time in the Wyoming Air National Guard until recently, when he re-enlisted as part-time so that he could finish his education. Malcom is slated to complete a bachelor’s at the University of Wyoming next May with a degree in political science and American history.
Malcom said he’s running because he considers himself the best candidate in the race, with an understanding for the “real” problems Wyomingites face. He also said his time as an Eagle Scout and Boy Scout instilled him with the need to perform civic service.
Malcom criticized Singh’s support for a bill that would have prohibited the release of the Wyoming National Guard into active duty in certain situations that Malcom says would have eliminated full-time employment for Wyoming Army and Air National Guardsmen.
He also said Singh has limited access to health care “for all walks of life.”
Singh voted against a bill that passed into law expanding Medicaid coverage for new mothers up to one year. He also voted in support of a bill that prohibits doctors from providing transgender treatment to minors in Wyoming.
Expanding access to health care, Malcom said, would be one of his biggest priorities if elected. Rural health care has been a major issue in Wyoming, with many hospitals struggling to find staff and serve their constituents who sometimes live many miles away.
Malcom wants to increase the number of medical providers in Wyoming by incentivizing health companies to locate here.
“By empowering health care providers to expand their capabilities to service our citizens, we reduce the strain on Wyomingites who need medical assistance,” he said. “By doing so, we help lessen the stress of emergency or chronic medical issues. No rancher deserves to lose a limb because the nearest doctor is two hundred miles away.”
Malcom also opposed Singh’s votes in support of school choice bills, legislation that allows parents to utilize public money to send their children to private schools in Wyoming. He wants to improve access to Wyoming’s public school system, which Malcom believes is working effectively.
He also accused Singh of undermining protections for domestic abuse victims by voting against bills expanding the definition of simple assault and extending the timeline for protective orders in Wyoming.
“This level of ineffectiveness is just not something that I feel I can let slide as a civic-minded member of my community,” Malcom said.
On property taxes, Malcom mentioned how Wyoming has some of the lowest rates in the country. He believes providing cuts and exemptions to property taxes would actually cause more harm for residents due to the likely cuts to public services that would also occur. He believes the real solution to rising property tax rates is to increase the state’s housing capacity.
Malcom also wants to work with cities and municipalities on creating zoning for high-occupancy homes, while laying plans for continuing to improve access to single-family homes.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
