JACKSON, Wyo. — Two candidates are competing for the position of Teton County Coroner, and the pair of colleagues appeared at a voter forum at the Teton County Library on Oct. 8.
Democrat candidate Kat Clauson and Republican candidate Russell Nelson fielded questions from a panel of reporters, tackling such topics as facility upgrades, the partisan nature of the race, and the importance of mental health care for professionals in their field. The discussion kicked off with a lighthearted icebreaker question about each candidate’s wishes for their own body after death. Below, see a key quote from each candidate, presented alphabetically:
Clauson: “My strengths really lie in my compassion, and my empathy, and my honesty in the work that I do. The bereaved — pardon my language — the bereaved can smell bullsh*t. They don’t have time for flowery words; they don’t have time for a level of professionalism that doesn’t cut to the heart. And my absolute strength is working with the bereaved, and working with patients, and providing a standard of care that gives them dignity and respect in the last moments of their time in our office. My weaknesses are — I’ve really had to learn self care, and that’s not taking a bath at the end of a shift, that’s communicating with other deputies when you need to, and also allowing for yourself a therapist and peer support.
Nelson: “The emotional requirements of the job require long conversations with somebody on the other end of the phone a long ways away, or it can be a conversation with the sister of your best friend that you just had to pick up and take to the office. I had to do that with my high school best friend at one point. You have to take some time and just let everything wash over you. It helps to have a little bit of faith in the process, it helps to have a little bit of faith in your teammates, and the strength that you can draw from the fact that you work together and you have similar requirements and that shared understanding, that shared sort of burden, as Kat put it.”
The proceedings were overall cordial, but there was one tense exchange at the very end of the forum when questions of autopsy performance arose, viewable at the 35-minute mark.
These candidate forums are presented by the League of Women Voters of Wyoming, Teton County Library, the Jackson Hole News&Guide, KHOL Radio and Buckrail. The League’s Susan Dong moderated the conversation, and questions were posed by Buckrail’s Hannah Trask, KHOL’s Sophia Boyd-Fliegel, and Jeannette Boner with the News&Guide. Early voting is now open and Election Day is Nov. 3.
