Tom Kelly, the more conservative of two Republican candidates for the Wyoming House District 30 seat, beat rival Gail Symons, according to unofficial Republican primary results late Tuesday.
Kelly won by a substantial margin of 951 votes, or 58.56 %, to Symons’ 673, or 41.44 % of votes.
The house seat is being vacated by Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, who lost his bid for the Wyoming Senate. Rep. Barry Crago, R-Buffalo beat Jennings by 704 votes in their race for SD 22.
Not Quite Freedom Caucus
Kelly is a newcomer to the Legislature.
But neither he nor his opponent were strangers to politics. Symons frequently testifies at the Legislature, and Kelly ran unsuccessfully for superintendent of Public Instruction in 2022. He also briefly hosted a conservative talk radio show.
Earlier this month, the conservative Wyoming Freedom Caucus distributed flyers stating that Symons was a supporter of former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, a claim Symons adamantly denied.
Kelly has stated that he supports many of the Freedom Caucus’ ideas, although he is not a member.
He told Cowboy State Daily early Tuesday that “my phone will be off tonight,” and he wouldn’t comment on the election results until early Wednesday.
