ABOUT ME

 

I often get asked the typical questions when I meet someone for the first time:

 

“Where are you from?”, “How long have you lived here?”, “What sort of things do you like to do?”, “What do you do for work?”

 

For a long time, this felt like good natured small talk. But increasingly it can seem like I am being subjected to a test. It feels like the real questions are just under the surface: 

 

“Are you from Wyoming or someplace else?”, “Have you lived here long enough to have an opinion on Wyoming issues?”, “Do you hunt and fish, or do you ski and hike?”, “Do you work behind a desk or with your hands?” 

 

It seems like these subtle questions are in service of answering the biggest question: “What box do I put this person in?”

 

Wyomingites from across the political spectrum are using the answers to these types of questions to sort ourselves into a variety of categories. What box we land in can influence everything from who we associate with to who we vote for. Our legislative representatives are no exception. More and more, it feels as if every issue is being oversimplified–if you can put the issue in a box, then approaching it seems simpler.

 

This is why I am running for office–in reality there are no simple issues.  Trying to fit complex issues into a neat box does not solve them. What I want from our representatives is to feel assured that they are looking at each item before them with thoughtfulness and care, not where it fits into their established ideologies. 

 

I know I am not alone. Many of us are growing weary of these tests. If we are being honest with ourselves, none of us really fit into the boxes we often end up being placed in. Wyomingites are diverse in thought and background, and our culture and heritage is rich and vibrant. By pretending that there is no nuance or complexity to the issues that face us, we are doing ourselves a disservice as nothing gets solved.  What is worse, we are being unkind to each other in the process.

 

This campaign is not about assuring you that we are the same. I want to earn your trust by getting to know you. I want to talk to you, treat you with respect, and learn how you feel about the challenges facing us. I will have points of agreement and disagreement with every single voter, and I want to talk about what those things are and how we might find a compromise. If we cannot, I want you to feel that you were heard and understood.

 

I will strive to provide a thoughtful, constructive, approach to representation if I am lucky enough to earn your vote. If you would like to have a conversation with me, I encourage you to reach out. 

 

Just please, no tests.