WYOMING — Facing off against a full field of candidates for the open seat in the U.S. Senate is political newcomer Jimmy Skovgard.
A Republican and veteran, Skovgard grew up in Greybull in the Bighorn Basin. He earned a degree in history from the University of Wyoming, before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Wyoming Army National Guard. Skovgard told Buckrail that one of his first jobs was as a data analyst, then in 1999, he formed his own company, Anchor Environmental, which he describes as an environmental and oilfield service business. He retired in 2020.
Skovgard said he was motivated to run for office after the divisive nature of the 2024 election cycle.
“It divides the country — the political rhetoric, the noise, the manipulation that I see,” Skovgard said. “We’re all human, and we’re susceptible to repeated messages, and the messages that I saw repeated were not messages of kindness [that] touched on my foundations that I learned as a child in Sunday school. So I decided that rather than to sit by and watch idly, I would try to exercise my rights as a citizen and run for office.”
According to Skovgard, his campaign is not supported by any “big money,” and he isn’t looking for any. Strengthening the government’s guardrails is a main political priority for Skovgard, who says the rule of law and commitment to the Constitution exist to prevent chaos. “Why that’s important to me is we have so many veterans that have sworn this very same oath place their lives on the line. And for a representative to disregard the oath, in my mind is the highest form of hypocrisy that we have in our system of government.”
Skovgard is also campaigning on his support of term limits, accountability, and utilizing technology to be “inclusive, not exclusive.” He believes that politics should not be a career, and that elected representatives should serve as public servants one or two terms maximum before returning to the constituency. Transparency in politics is a high priority for Skovgard, who thinks that technology can be better used to combat repeated messages of manipulation.
Runaway spending is to blame for the challenges facing Wyoming residents these days, Skovgard said, and Washington, D.C., politicians are not acting interested in having the hard conversations about costs. In his eyes, debt and deficit spending are responsible for increases in the cost of electricity, natural gas, groceries, fuel, housing and more. Working class folks have not seen their wages rise at the same rate, and only a small section of the population is doing well under this current system.
Skovgard loves the state of Wyoming for its mountains, wide-open spaces, recreational opportunities, and the attitude that many people share of: “Why can’t we just be left alone?”
The Republican primary election on Aug. 18 will include Skovgard, Harriet Hageman, Sam Mead, Jill Edwards and John Holtz. The Democrat ticket will contain James Byrd and Billy Benavidez.
