Wyoming Senate

Last week, Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas passed away after a seven month battle with leukemia. As the state grieves his loss, the WY GOP is responsible for presenting three candidates to Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal as possible replacements.

Fred Parady, the State GOP Chair, announced yesterday that interested parties have until Thursday to present their applications to the GOP for consideration. A candidates forum is expected to be held Sunday, when each candidate will have the opportunity to present their own ideas for the future of Wyoming. The GOP will narrow the field to three, from which Governor Freudenthal will choose the ultimate successor.

The successor will be in office until the special election in November 2008. Through the special election, voters will have the opportunity to fill the seat for the remainder of the late Senator Thomas' term, which would expire in early 2009.

There is a wide array of candidates throwing their hat into the ring for this race, including Colin Simpson, son of former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson; Matthew Mead, a U.S. attorney who resigned his post late last week; even some are speculating that Lynne Cheney will seek the nomination. What effect this appointment will have on the future of the moderate bloc of the GOP remains to be seen. Will the state GOP nominate a real Republican candidate that all GOP'ers can rally around?

For more, visit http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/06/12/news/wyoming/50-succeed.txt