From Maggie Mullen
Due to below-average voter turnout in Wyoming’s primary elections on Tuesday, there were very few votes in several legislative elections.
Five House races were decided by 50 votes or fewer, including in the 9th District in northeast Cheyenne, where Rep. Landon Brown (R-Cheyenne) defeated challenger Exie Brown by 17 votes, according to complete but unofficial election results.
In the Senate, a closely watched election campaign for the 28th Senate District in central Casper between Senator Jim Anderson (R-Casper) and his challenger Bryce Reece was decided by 30 votes in favor of the incumbent.
The closest election campaign ended with seven votes.
That was between Kevin Campbell and Edis Allen in the 62nd House District, which includes part of southeastern Natrona County and the western half of Converse County. The seat is currently represented by Rep. Forrest Chadwick (R-Evansville), who did not seek re-election.
The margin was so small that a recount was necessary, which is required by state law when the gap between the two leading candidates is less than 1%.
Converse County conducted its recount on Wednesday afternoon, Natrona County on Thursday morning. Both counties had the same result as Tuesday – 794 to 787. Ultimately, Campbell prevailed.
Malcolm Ervin, a Platte County clerk and chairman of the County Clerks’ Association of Wyoming, said he was not aware of any further recounts in the House elections.
Joe Rubino, general counsel for the State Department, told WyoFile HD 62 that the only election with such a narrow margin was in favor of an automatic recount. Rubino did not say whether any statehouse candidates had requested a recount.
State law allows candidates for the House seat to request a recount, but they must do so no later than two days after the state Board of Elections certifies the results, which is scheduled to happen on August 28.
By law, the applicant shall bear the costs of the recount unless the recount changes the election result.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent, nonprofit news organization focused on the people, places and politics of Wyoming.
