Wyoming State Flag. (Flickr/Creative Commons/Christina Maki)

As citizens of Sweetwater County, we have observed national political campaigns that seek not to enlighten voters and provide them with the necessary information to make an informed choice on election day, but instead resort to malicious and deceptive tactics that leave behind a trail of toxicity that corrodes public trust, undermines civic engagement and attacks the very foundation of our republic. 

Opinion

Sadly, these groups have now turned their cynical eyes toward Sweetwater County. We have been flooded with texts, mailers and door hangers filled with inflammatory rhetoric, distortions and outright lies. These groups seek to manipulate us, assuming we are ignorant and can be influenced by their yellow-bellied attempts to use outside money to deceive the voters of our county. 

They don’t know us, our strength or our ability — not to put too fine a point on it — to recognize manure when we smell it. Our community is better than this. As proud Republicans, we stand with every citizen of Sweetwater County who elected us to represent them in repudiating both these tactics as well as anyone who chooses to align themselves with this threat to our way of governance. 

Sweetwater County will stand as a strong example of how elections cannot be won through lies and dark money, but instead through honest engagement, debate, and decency. We will stand together as candidates, political parties, media and citizens committed to political discourse that focuses on policies and ideas. We will stand together as an example to our great state of politics done right, done locally and done honestly. 

Our commitment to integrity and civility in Sweetwater County will serve as an example to the rest of America of how things were done before buying elections became the goal. We will remind them that the goal is serving your fellow citizens, not corporations or ideologues. We are proud to be members of a community of citizens with the integrity and strength to oppose these malevolent groups and stand strong for what is right. 

Join us in denouncing these deceptive tactics and support candidates who focus on real issues and honest, respectful political discourse. 

Keaton West, Chairman, Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners 

Island Richards, Commissioner, Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners

Robb Slaughter, Commissioner, Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners 

Stacy Jones, Senator, Senate District 12, Sweetwater County  

S. Mark Cowan, Sweetwater County Treasurer 

Cindy Lane, Sweetwater County Clerk 

Donna Lee Bobak, Sweetwater County Clerk of District Court 

Max Mickelson, Mayor of Rock Springs  

Rob Zotti, City Councilman, Rock Springs

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4 Comments

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  1. We have had NOTHING but Toxic talk from one side since 2015 when Trump decided to run for president. DAILY! Many sources from on the left. With occasional RHINO chipping in.

    Reply

  2. This is true patriotism. I hope more Republicans and Democrats will commit to constructive discussion of issues rather than attacks.

    Reply

  3. Thanks for the article, and kudos to Sweetwater pols for pushing back on the so-called Freedom Caucus–an Orwellian name taken by people who say everybody is free to be like them, otherwise not so much. As the son of a WWII vet, I am more than unhappy with the demagoguery dominating both state and national politics. Bring back the real GOP!

    Reply

    1. Heartily agree. Miss those honest conservatives, even when we didn’t always agree, we understood each other. My father was also a WWII veteran, an antifascist to the core, and I am proud to stand with them against a man who wishes to be the Fuhrer of the US.

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