JACKSON, Wyo. — On Tuesday, August 20, Wyomingites will head to the polls to cast their votes in the primary election. On the ballot will be candidates vying for a U.S. Senate seat. Sen. John Barrasso’s (R) term is up and he will run to serve another six years, challenged by fellow Republicans John Holtz and Reid Rasner. Democrat Scott Morrow will run unopposed in the primary, facing the Republican winner in the general election in November.
To help voters make an informed choice, Buckrail asked each of the senatorial candidates a series of questions on issues ranging from infrastructure to affordable housing to see how their policies would impact Teton County and the state. Here’s what they had to say:
Scott Morrow
Scott Morrow, the only Democratic senatorial candidate this year, is a Laramie-based union officer. Over the years, Morrow has worked in various positions for the Denver local chapter of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). He currently serves as the APWU chartered Retiree Chapter president. He is a father of five with a black belt in Taekwondo and has trained in several other martial arts.
Morrow said the issue that concerns him most is climate change.
“My number one priority is to aggressively address the existential danger to humanity as we move up the list for extinction during the planet’s sixth known mass extinction event currently ongoing,” Morrow said. “Today, there are up to 11 active glaciers in Grand Teton National Park. The accelerating ice loss is directly due to the warming planet and is a serious issue for tourism and the environment in your communities.”
When asked what he planned to do about infrastructure in the state, particularly in light of the recent failure of Teton Pass, Morrow said he would push for more funding.
“We the people have for too long endured neglect of our entire infrastructure and I will support and introduce legislation that is paid for to aggressively address the issue,” Morrow said. “It takes quite a long time to distribute and break ground on all projects. Please be patient with me and your Congress as we work towards mitigating the coming disasters due to Wyoming’s poor grades on most types of infrastructure.”
On the topic of affordable housing, Morrow said the key is reducing inflation, which he would address by supporting the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and by working with the Department of Justice to enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.
“At the federal level there are numerous current programs for first time home buyers and I support those,” Morrow said. “The lack of affordable housing is an issue in Teton County and across the state and in America. A federal program to encourage [affordable housing] plans and help cities and Teton County with the high cost of financing these creative solutions has to happen to mitigate the affordable housing crisis.”
Morrow said that as Senator he would work for “equality in the Equality State.”
Morrow said he also supports “codifying women’s reproductive health,” taking measures to reduce poverty, ratification of the Equal Rights Act and helping Wyoming’s seniors by increasing Social Security benefits.
Sen. John Barrasso
Republican Senator John Barrasso has served in the Senate since 2007. He is a senior member of the Senate Energy Committee. Prior to being elected to the U.S. Senate, Barrasso represented Natrona County in the Wyoming State Senate from 2003 to 2007. Barrasso had a 24-year career as an orthopedic surgeon before entering the public sphere. The father of three lives in Casper.
Barrasso emphasized the importance of Wyoming residents being able to use federal lands.
“In Wyoming, our livelihoods depend on preserving the health of our federal lands,” Barrasso said in an email to Buckrail. “Wyoming landowners and leaseholders have proven to be the best stewards of the land. Despite our incredible track record, the Biden-Harris administration continues to roll out rules and plans aimed at turning Wyoming’s federal lands from ‘multiple-use’ to ‘non-use.’ We depend on access to these lands for energy and mineral production, grazing and recreation. I’m leading the fight to stop this attack on our Wyoming way of life.”
On the subject of infrastructure, Barrasso stressed his response to the Teton Pass collapse. He said he pushed the U.S. Forest Service to repair the pass as soon as possible and worked with federal, state and local officials to get it reopened quickly.
“In the Senate, I’ll continue to work on federal infrastructure legislation to rebuild our roads, highways and bridges,” Barrasso said. “I am focused on Wyoming having modern, reliable and safe infrastructure.”
When asked about affordable housing, Barrasso stressed what an important issue it is in Wyoming and said the problem is that supply is limited while demand is increasing.
“Affordable options for hardworking people in our state are scarce,” Barrasso said. “To fix this problem, we have to be creative and look for new areas of opportunity. In the U.S. Senate, we are looking at ways to use federal land to help expand housing opportunities. Federal land is a vital part of Wyoming. It accounts for 30% of the total land in our state.”
Barrasso also noted that he is a “proud cosponser” of the Helping Open Underutilized Space to Ensure Shelter (HOUSES) Act, which would authorize the sale of federal lands for development by state and local governments for housing and community needs projects.
In reference to his track record as Senator, Barrasso said, “In the U.S. Senate, I’m proud of my strong, conservative record that puts Wyoming first. I serve on committees that directly impact our state’s energy industry, public lands, national parks and trade. With my leadership positions, I’ve successfully promoted Wyoming’s economy and natural resources, strengthened our national security, cut wasteful Washington spending and
fought against overreaching regulations. There is more work to be done. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for Wyoming every day.”
John Holtz
John Holtz is a Republican candidate for Senator. A retired attorney and former judge in Douglas, Holtz also worked at Hughes Aircraft Company in the Electro Optical and Space Divisions. He was born in Omaha and moved around the country during his upbringing for his father’s Army job. Hotz, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, said he was instrumental in assuring the rights of Wyomingites to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.
“I’m a big proponent of the second amendment,” Holtz told Buckrail. “We need to respect that and make sure that we can defend ourselves and maintain our Constitution. Our rights are under attack. Our American way of life is under attack. We’ve reached the point where the unimaginable has happened.”
About Teton County, Holtz said, “Tourism is a blessing but can also be a problem for Teton County. We have a problem when you have people who can’t afford to live there and have to commute from another state. We need innovative solutions to solve problems in Teton County.”
Affordable housing, Holtz said, is a bigger problem in Teton County than in some of the rest of the state.
“For years I’ve talked about [affordable housing] in Wyoming,” Holtz said. “That we don’t have an income tax, that we’re going to be like Switzerland and have other people coming here bringing other values and ideas. There’s only so much space there. What’s being built there may have to be multi-story so you can put more on the same sized lot.”
Holtz added that he supports not having a state income tax, but does support a limited increase in property tax.
“I think we need to do something where any increases of property tax happen over time and are modest, unlike right now when we’re seeing large increases in a single year,” Holtz said. “It’s a multifaceted problem that needs to be addressed expeditiously but in a way where people aren’t forced out of their houses.”
Hotlz said he supports Wyoming exporting its natural resources to Europe.
“Wyoming is unique,” Holtz said. “It’s a treasure trove with its coal, uranium and gas. One of my ideas is to go to the Strait of Gibraltar with our natural assets. We need to make the most of what we have and export it. That means shipping liquified gas and coal and going to Europe rather than going to other places where you have to get past missiles and drones. We have an abundance of natural resources in an energy short world and we need to be creative about how we export them, not only for Wyoming but for Teton County.”
Reid Rasner
Reid Rasner is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. Rasner is a fourth generation Wyomingite who graduated from the University of Wyoming. He has a career in wealth management, which he said makes him dedicated to “prudent financial stewardship.” He said his career means that he brings “a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility in my work.” Rasner supports a more limited role for government.
Rasner told Buckrail that his focus is on “reducing government overreach and ensuring local autonomy.”
When asked about his stance on infrastructure, Rasner said, “I will focus on cutting wasteful spending and helping to create a larger amount of private funds going towards critical infrastructure repairs and maintenance, ensuring safety and reliability.”
Rasner advocates a laissez-faire position when it comes to housing.
“I will advocate for reducing government regulations and taxes to allow the free market to provide more affordable housing options for Wyomingites,” Rasner said of what he would do if elected.
In describing his overarching position, Rasner said, “I will fight to protect our freedoms, preserve our conservative values and ensure Wyoming remains a low-tax, pro-business state.”
Like Holtz, Rasner stresses his support for the Second Amendment, which he said he is “passionate about.”
In his free time, Rasner said he enjoys “spending time outdoors, practicing my shooting skills and connecting with nature.”
Rasner said he is “fully dedicated to the people and future of our state.”
