A Sheridan resident made the first public filing for the 2018 campaign for Wyoming’s next governor.
William Dahlin created the campaign committee “Dahlin for Governor” with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office on June 20.
Dahlin has never held a political office in Wyoming, said Garth Turner, who is listed as his campaign chairman. He is running as a Republican. That makes him a potential unknown in a primary race where more renowned names such as Secretary of State Ed Murray, State Treasurer Mark Gordon and former U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis have all been bandied about in political circles as possible entrants in the race for the governor’s mansion.
The Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, which governs elections, does not officially consider someone a “candidate” until they register during a filing period from May 17 to June 1, 2018, spokesman Will Dinneen said. Candidates are not required to create campaign committees either, he said.
There is a website and a Facebook page with the same name as Dahlin’s campaign committee. In addition, there is also an online donation form for Dahlin for Governor through raisethemoney.com.
According to the website, Dahlin was born in Wyoming and grew up in Sheridan, attending Sheridan College and then Rocky Mountain Business College in Billings, Montana. He worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad, starting as a gang laborer and ending with a position in its corporate headquarters. He then began his own business in the railroad industry, which he sold in 2001. Dahlin has since been involved in various other business ventures, the website says.
He is a widower whose wife died eight years ago, and his mother still lives in Sheridan.
The “Campaign Issues” section of his page would appear to indicate Wyoming’s economy will be a focus for Dahlin’s campaign. “Creating sustainable employment across the state while having fiscal responsibility is our goal,” the page reads.
In a nod to the energy industry downturn that has thinned out the state’s coffers, the page emphasizes that “a stronger base of reliable, sustainable and less cyclical jobs will position the state to better withstand a boom/bust cycle.”
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“We’re still kind of just getting started,” when it comes to refining Dahlin’s platform, Turner said.
More contenders are sure to come, Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Ryan Mulholland said. “I do not know when they will make their intentions public,” he wrote in an email to WyoFile. “The timing of such an announcement is important and will likely be approached in different ways by each of the candidates.”