JACKSON, Wyo. — County Commissioner Wes Gardner has announced his reelection campaign ahead of the August primary election.
Gardner was elected for his first term in 2022 after a successful write-in campaign. The Democrat told Buckrail he’s going to start door-knocking this week in order to reach voters before the party affiliation declaration deadline, which is May 13. Wyoming law requires voters to be registered with a chosen political party by that date to participate in that party’s primary election, a concept that deeply troubles Gardner.
“The fact that voters have to make a decision about who they want to vote for before they know who’s running is ridiculous,” Gardner said, referring to the fact that local candidates file their paperwork with the County Clerk’s office between May 14 and May 29. “It’s absurd. … I’m a history major. This pisses me off.”
Gardner said he was proud of his contributions in getting the Justice Center project narrowly approved by voters in the 2024 Specific Purpose Excise Tax election. He said his business experience (as owner of Teton Toys) sometimes informs his approach to work in public service.
“So many of our decisions come down to dollars and cents,” he said. “When you take the biggest chunk and you get help from the public and the visitors to fund it, it’s an absolute game changer for all kinds of other downstream effects — you can fund health and human services, you can fund community projects.”
Looking forward, he hopes to continue to work on land development regulations that lead to meaningful environmental conservation and water quality protections. Gardner said he has learned a lot about working with his constituents, pointing to the vast quantities of feedback he and the commissioners received during discussions of both the Fire in the Mountains music festival and the pathway designs for downtown Wilson.
“I think I’m doing a good job; I know I’m working hard,” Gardner told Buckrail. “I try to ask good questions. I really do enjoy it and I feel like there have been a lot of moments I can look back on and say, ‘I’m glad I was elected.'”
