Wyoming Rep. Scott Clem Not Running For Re-Election

A state representative who has been a vocal critic of Governor Mark Gordon's coronavirus policy has announced that he won't be running for re-election this year.

Rep. Scott Clem [R-Campbell County] made the announcement on Tuesday on the "Rep. Scott Clem for Wyoming House District 31" Facebook page.

Clem, who is a Baptist minister, said in his announcement that ''Now is the time for me to focus on my ministry and my family." Clem was first elected in 2015 and had risen to the rank of vice-chair of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee.

During his time in the House, he has been a leading conservative voice in the legislature, consistently speaking out and voting in favor of pro-life and gun rights legislation, among other issues.

In recent weeks Clem has argued that the steps the state has taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus are causing so much harm to the state economy that they are worse than the threat posed by the virus.

While Clem won't be running for the legislature in 2020, his announcement also says ''I have a lot of fight left in me" and that he expects to engage in state politics "for years to come."