Gubernatorial Candidates Defend, Detract, Discuss

Republican Gov. Matt Mead wants another four-year term based on his performance with economic growth and diversity, and resisting federal interference in wildlife and energy policies, and long-term programs to deal with homelessness.

"And in fact we've been recognized in the last three years by Wall Street 24-7 as the first or second best-run state in the country," Mead said in his introductory remarks at a debate with the other three gubernatorial candidates at Casper College on Thursday.

"We've been conservative, but we've been able to build Wyoming, and I'm proud of that record," he said.

Democrat Pete Gosar demurred, saying he's visited with victims of discrimination, patients without health insurance and those left behind in the prosperity Mead talked about.

"There are two sets of rules in Wyoming today," Gosar said. "One for the well-connected, and another for the rest of us. But there is a vast wealth of talent in Wyoming, and there is a different road to choose."

Bob Wills, running as an independent, said "R" oi "D" doesn't matter.

"Quite frankly, there isn't a whole lot of difference between my two major party candidates, Wills said.

"Governor Mead and Pete Gosar are both in favor of Common Core; I will stop Common Core," he said. "Governor Mead and Pete Gosar are both either on the fence or in favor of Medicaid expansion."

Libertarian Del Cozzens didn't lob verbal grenades as much as he touted his experience as a pharmaceutical company rep, a hospital administrator in Cody, and as a guy who knows how to work with people.

"At that time, they were having some employee problems, and I said, 'has anyone ever talked to these employees?' They happened to be nurses whom I loved, and no one had," Cozzens said. "So we sat down and discussed the issues and found out that some of the problems that they had were easily resolved."