Dear editor:
We’ve all seen the headlines. Wyoming’s Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Governor Mark Gordon are locked in a power struggle over green energy, election integrity, constitutional authority, and control.
Meanwhile, on the national stage, two of the most influential voices on the right—Elon Musk and Donald Trump—are publicly sparring over everything from politics to personality.
So again, I ask: Who actually wins when our leaders fight?
The people? Nope. The principles? Hardly. The process? Definitely not.
When leaders go to war with each other, the only winners are the ones who benefit from delay, distraction, and dysfunction — usually lobbyists, bureaucrats, and career politicians who thrive in chaos. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left wondering: who's fighting for us?
Look, strong disagreement isn’t the problem — iron sharpens iron. But when personal feuds and political theater replace actual problem-solving, we all lose. We don’t elect leaders to trade insults or power plays — we elect them to get things done. Period.
In Wyoming, the back-and-forth between Gray and Gordon has made headlines. But while they’ve been focused on duking it out, the rancher in Douglas still needs water rights resolved, the mom in Cody still wants a real say in her child’s education, and the small business owner in Casper still has to jump through hoops just to expand.
If you're worried about the public having a voice, give them ways to have a voice. This is 2025, that isn’t hard. Don’t block public comment from government livestreams, do more government livestreams that allow live public comment and ideas. Do that instead of getting into a childish fist fight on social media.
And nationally? Musk and Trump — two titans with big platforms — could be rallying around shared values like free speech, American innovation, and economic freedom. Instead, they’re tossing jabs while the American people are stuck watching the richest guy on Earth and a President try to “one-up” each other like it’s a reality show.
Let me be clear: I believe in standing your ground. Don’t back down from your core values. But I also believe in rising above petty power games.
Leadership means choosing people over pride. It means putting in the hard work of listening, planning, and solving—even when it’s not glamorous instead of a childish social media spats. Is this what we have become?
When our leaders fight, Wyoming stalls. We’ve got too much at stake to waste another day on ego wars.
It’s time to bring the focus back where it belongs: the people. Let’s stop asking who’s “winning” the political fights — and start asking who’s actually working to make Wyoming freer, stronger, and more secure.
Because the real winner shouldn’t be the loudest voice in the room — it should be you.
Let’s write a different story—one where leadership works, and Wyoming wins.
Sincerely,
Joseph Kibler, Laramie County
