GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Eight people have submitted applications for a vacant House seat after Gillette Republican Rep. Roy Edwards died from COVID-19 on Nov. 2, the day before the general election.
Chris Knapp, Tom Murphy, Thomas Rothenbuehler, Nichole Shelstad, Joshua Dillinger, Joel Marquiss, Terry Sjolin, and Kimberly Zehner have put their names forward as potential replacements, The Gillette News Record reported.
Applicants must be Republican, at least 21 years old, and live in House District 53, which includes Gillette, to be qualified, officials said.
The Republican precinct committee is scheduled to select three finalists on Thursday. The finalists’ names will then be forwarded to the Campbell County Commission, which will select Edwards’ replacement.
Edwards is one of three Wyoming state lawmakers whose COVID-19 diagnosis has been made public.
Wyoming Senate President Drew Perkins, a Republican, announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Casper Republican Sen. Jim Anderson announced he had contracted the virus earlier this year.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
