Buffalo, 22, would be youngest in Wyoming legislature if she wins

Sometimes age is just a number. Buffalo resident Liberty Poley believes her 22-year-old is an advantage in her Republican campaign for Wyoming House District 40.

She mentioned that until modern times, some of the world’s greatest historical leaders were around her age or younger, such as Alexander the Great, whom she considers “one of the best world leaders of all time “.

“It is really unfortunate that over the last century young people have become less involved in politics,” she said. “I think it’s time to continue this tradition, because our voice needs to be represented just as much as everyone else, because we are just as subject to the will of the government as everyone else.”

Poley is the third Republican candidate to throw her name in the ring to replace retiring state Rep. Barry Crago, R-Buffalo, who is running for Senate in Wyoming. Gun Owners of America lobbyist Mark Jones and former Johnson County Commissioner Marilyn Connolly are also running against Poley in the Republican primary.

“I think I’m the strongest conservative voice of the three of us and I look forward to running against them,” Poley said.

Poley has already won the support of conservative Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne. The connection between the two is Liberty’s mother, April Poley, who volunteered for Bouchard’s campaigns.

“The zeal shown by the Poleys, in their quest to defend conservative values ​​in Wyoming, is second to none,” Bouchard wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “You will see these same traits in Liberty. Remember, you can judge a tree by its fruit.

Who is Connolly?

Connolly thinks she’s the right person for the job, and it’s not a whim; She has been considering running for political office for years. When Crago announced he would no longer run for his seat, she decided the time was right.

“I feel like it’s the right time for me and that I’m the right person,” she said.

Connolly said serving the state and his rural district will be his first priority. She used the metaphor of waving the American flag with one hand while using the other to wrap herself in the Wyoming flag.

Connolly is a Wyoming native and served as a Johnson County commissioner for eight years, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.

“I have a lot of experience in Johnson and Sheridan counties,” she said. “I just have a lot of experience working with our agencies and our employees in this county, which I think is a good qualification to run for this position.”

She has also been involved with her local senior center, Special Rural Health Care District, Mental Health Council of Northern Wyoming, Search and Rescue Council, Homeland Security Initiatives as coordinator of emergency management, she volunteers with her local fire department and assists with governor’s emergencies. medical services subcommittee.

“I know it sounds cliché, but I think I have the knowledge and experience to do it,” Connolly said.

Connolly describes herself as a Constitutional Republican who fully supports the party’s agenda and wants to reduce government regulation.

Although she appreciates his services, Connolly said she doesn’t agree with Crago on every issue. She believes her efforts to cap annual property tax increases in Wyoming at 4 percent don’t provide enough relief to homeowners.

If elected, she wants to continue efforts to reform property taxes in Wyoming.

She also wants to ensure Wyoming’s waters remain sovereign to the state. Water issues will likely become increasingly important over the remainder of the 21st century as resources continue to decline across the West.

Connolly said providing medical services to Wyoming’s rural communities will also be one of his priorities, which is a major challenge for the state. Local medical facilities and schools are often the lifeblood of Wyoming’s small towns.

She experienced this firsthand while attending one-room schools throughout her childhood in Johnson and Sheridan counties.

But when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, Connolly said she’s not a fan, because she believes those efforts are already supported in Wyoming without any mandate is necessary to guarantee it. She supported the Legislature’s budget cut to the University of Wyoming’s DEI office this spring.

She also wants to revamp the state’s mental health laws under Title 25. These measures often require local sheriff’s departments to place people in custody in their jails when local health facilities don’t have the space or the staff needed to accept people suffering from life-threatening mental health episodes.

When it comes to energy, she wants to lower utility prices for homeowners and protect Wyoming’s legacy fossil fuel industries. She is not opposed to green energy production and said the state should consider all of its energy options given the growing popularity of electric vehicles.

Who is Poley?

Poley has lived most of his life in Wyoming, but just graduated from college at a school in Kentucky earlier this month.

“I think the state Legislature needs stronger conservative representation, and I would like to be that voice for House District 40,” she said. “I have strong conservative values ​​and I don’t deviate from them.”

Politically, she considers herself a “complete opposite” of Crago, based on what she’s seen of him on the conservative political rankings site WyoRino.com. Poley said she aligns with 90 to 100 percent of the Republican Party’s agenda.

Even though she’s not a homeowner, Poley sees property taxes as the number one issue lawmakers need to address. Last winter, she went door to door for an ongoing election campaign that, if successful, would cut property tax assessments by 50 percent.

She also gained experience in politics when she campaigned with others against a locally proposed sales tax, an effort she credits for its failure. She has also been a precinct committeeman for the Johnson County Republican Party since she was 18 and was recently elected as a delegate to the upcoming Republican National Convention, where she plans to support the election bid of former President Donald Trump .

Poley views property taxes as exploitative of Wyoming’s private property owners.

When it comes to energy, Poley believes Wyoming needs to focus on fossil fuels moving forward. She mentioned how cities like Gillette, where she spent part of her life, are incredibly dependent on these industries for the livelihood of their residents.

“In a boom and bust cycle, you can see it’s all about the coal economy, so we need to protect that with our legislation,” she said.

Poley said she is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and will seek support in her campaign from Wyoming gun owners, a group founded by Bouchard. The Wyoming Gun Owners are a non-understood Second Amendment group that has often been at odds with the Gun Owners of America and the National Rifle Association in their efforts.

“I think Wyomingites should be more loyal to local organizations like Wyoming Gun Owners before we align with national advocacy groups,” she said.

Although Wyoming Gun Owners was founded by Bouchard, it is currently run by an Iowa lobbyist.

Young guns

If Poley is elected, she will be the youngest member of the Legislature. The current holder of that title, Rep. JT Larson, R-Rock Springs, turned 23 earlier this spring.

Poley is joined by Larson and Reps. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, Dalton Banks, R-Cowley, and Ocean Andew, R-Laramie, in the Legislature’s under-35 contingency.

There is often a stereotype that younger people tend to be less conservative. While she believes that’s true nationally, Poley said it’s certainly not true for herself or other Wyomingites her age.

“I think in Wyoming in particular, we are as conservative as our parents were, and we maintain the conservative tradition,” she said.

Who is Jones?

Jones, who moved to Johnson County in 2021, is a Second Amendment lobbyist and director of hunter programs for Gun Owners of America. He announced his candidacy in March and was later profiled by Cowboy State Daily.

Leo Wolfson can be reached at [email protected].