CHICAGO—Tuesday night at the 2024 Democratic National Convention became a full-circle “healing moment” for Laramie resident Artemis Langford. The Democratic delegate for Wyoming watched from the seats of the United Center as former President Barack Obama graced the stage.
Raised in a staunchly Republican home, Langford recalled her anger in January 2009 as she watched Obama’s inauguration. Now, in Chicago, she basked in her first convention.
“It’s been such a joy to meet so many wonderful Democrats at this oasis, this awesome meeting point,” Langford said.
Even so, for many Wyoming Democrats, it can be challenging to find people with similar political values from their home state.
There are only 24,751 registered Democrats — just over 11% of registered voters — in Wyoming as of Aug. 1, 2024, according to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office.
By contrast, Republicans’ 180,815 registered voters account for nearly 81% of the state’s voting base.
“If you can’t appreciate this experience, you shouldn’t be here because it’s powerful to be around all these people who have a common goal, [who] have a positive outlook, who want to do some good for everybody,” said Wyoming delegate Lorraine Saulino-Klein. “It’s jazzy.”
Many of the Wyoming delegation’s interactions during the four-day assembly were unconventional for them. Langford and Saulino-Klein hail from Albany County, one of the few Wyoming communities in which Democrats are reliably competitive.
Most of the other delegates, however, are surrounded at home by political rivals. Vickie Goodwin of Douglas, for example, recalled the physical and verbal abuse heaped on her late husband for cross-dressing.
“I’m not afraid to be a Democrat in Wyoming, but it’s kind of nice to be [at the DNC] and feel the energy surrounding everything here,” Goodwin said. “It’s a real sense of belonging.”
The Wyoming delegation made a name for itself at the convention despite its size. Allyson Harvey of Ranchester detailed a typical bus ride for the delegation from the hotels.
“Us Wyoming people tend to be a little bit louder,” Harvey said. “We go [on a bus], and somebody turns around and goes, ‘I knew it was you guys! I knew it was Wyoming!’”
Vice chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party, Erin O’Doherty of Laramie, used her time in Chicago to learn about other rural states.
“Most states have rural parts that are more like Wyoming, but like Andy Beshear, he runs a rural state, and he knows how to talk to people, and Governor Walz, he knows how to talk to people and explain,” she said.
In a similar fashion, state Rep. Michael Yin (D-Jackson) used the opportunity to teach others about the Democrats in Wyoming.
“My goal as a delegate is to not only reflect the values that all Democrats share across the country, but also bring forth what are Wyoming values and Wyoming Democrats’ values that we can bring to the nation,” Yin said.
A novelty to be around others who share viewpoints, this year’s convention proved a rare opportunity for Wyoming’s delegates to present their political ideology and for unrestrained self-expression.
“In Wyoming, sometimes you want to say something out loud, and then you think, ‘Wait, I don’t want to offend anyone,’” Harvey said. “I’m like, ‘I’m here. I don’t have to be calm. I can be who I am.’”
The hate and lies abound from the mouths of the keyboard warriors with little knowledge and only right wing media to support their destruction of the democracy in this country and our state. I am a 4th generation Wyomingite who is very tired of this. This once was a place of wonder. We did not interfere with people’s views, we let people be people. We didn’t dictate and sure as hell didn’t deprive our children access to reality and the ability to think for themselves. We worked to resolve issues and we were capable of compromise, of looking at issues and actually discussing and determining that what is best for all lies somewhere in the middle. This is not a dictatorship and having your way is not a solution to anything. This must end and it must end now. Grow up. Selfishness or religious fervor has no place in government, communities, or your home.
I admire and hail the discretion that my fellow Democrats–and apparently many Republicans–have exercised in choosing not to lash out at some commenters’ hateful, misdirected, and fear-mongering responses to this article on the Democratic National Convention, and about Democrats in general. It is just this kind of attitude that has divided our country (and our state) at a time when we need to be coming together to solve problems that affect all of us on the planet:big problems that threaten not only the way we live our lives, but life itself. (If you choose to deny that severe weather events, heat waves, or fires that threaten our ranch lands, forests and neighborhoods are real and human-caused, you’re deluding yourself.) We are wasting time denigrating one another over social and religious issues that are matters of choice and have no place in politics when huge challenges face us such as how we will continue to grow and distribute food, nurture and provide healthcare for our children and our elders, and sustain future generations. No matter how we might try to convince ourselves otherwise, we are all in this together! There is work to be done that we can all agree on and now is the time! The Democratic Convention was inspiring to watch because it offered us a hopeful and creative glimpse of a future we might realize if we are willing to put in the hard work as Americans and World citizens.
Hate, anger, and intolerance is the only thing some chrump supporting boomers know.
Your optimism is refreshing. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the coverage. It’s good to see our Wyoming Democrats in action.
I agree, Barbara!
Democrats have had the control of the White House 12 of the past 16 years and the country is a mess fuel prices, economy, interested rates,ect.ect. and all you simpletons act like they are the be all saviors. Please get real, the country depende on it. Time to get your head out of the sand….
Wow, Randy, I believe we can respectfully disagree without name calling, personal attacks, and generalizations
Even watching the convention on TV was exciting! The speeches were excellent, the songs invigorating, and the joy was palpable. I suspect that the number of democrats is going to increase in Wyoming!
It must be an euphoric experience for Wyomingites to be surrounded by fellow countrymen and women who can ignore the soaring cost of living, rise in violent crime, and weaponization of the federal justice system…..along with a bastardization of the “free press.” I hope they all get home safely in their electric vehicles.
So evidently you are happy with a political party that side stepped democracy and its own primary results? Not one single vole in party primary has Harris received!! She has brought forth ZERO SOLUTIONS to problems she was part of creating. Botched Afghanistan withdrawal. 13 dead at Abby Gate. Left Allies to be punished. Left Afghanistan women to be brutalized. Yet talks of freedom for women here in USA. Was part of starting 2 wars Ukraine and Israel. Supports pro Palestine who raped/killed 1200 on Oct 7. Part of the administration that created inflationary times. Responsible for illegal migration that caused the housing shortage. Tells constant lies. And you’re happy. Good for you.
In reality this is rise of Red Fascism. They thru “democracy” off the stage.
Thank our fellow Wyomingites for sharing their experiences at the DNC. We all need to have as much fun.
Wyoming needs to become more than a bunch of old geezer boomer retirees coming to the State because they like the politics. For instance, I’ve been around coal all my life as in the coal furnace in the basement heating the house when I was a kid. It provided me an income for 40 years. Probably not anymore. Times are at a crossroads in Wyoming. There is a bright future with forward thinking. It’s time for the politicians to catch up with the times. Get off the stupid book banning and assorted other social issues and do a little planning for gosh sakes.
Rock. Wyoming would have had younger population. But seems Democrats stopped reproducing or was Aborting out their offsprings. That threw tax burden on rest of us. We just couldn’t keep up. Now they killing off good paying jobs—-like coal mining/oil patch.
It’s pretty hard to see where you’re coming from because there aren’t any Democrats in Wyoming.