Democratic candidate for Wyoming governor, Mary Throne, gave a speech on campus and explained the ways she plans to improve Wyoming as governor.
Mary Throne gave a speech in the Scarlett Auditorium of the business building on her vision of the future of the state. Her visit to campus was supported by the Young Democrats at UW RSO, where various topics were discussed throughout the evening.
“I think it’s important to engage students and get younger people involved in the political process,” Throne said. “You know, I’m really running for their future. Even though it’s early for the campaign, but I would like to introduce myself to them.”
The Young Democrats Club at UW helped to organize the speech of Throne on campus.
“We are just starting as Young Democrats,” Vice President of Young Democrats at UW Anna Jones said. “Since this is an election year, we just want to push the candidates, who are running. We just really wanted to just put her name up, because not much people know who she is outside of Cheyenne.”
Throne talked about various things that need to be improved in Wyoming for a better future. However, the chair of the Albany County’s Republican party, Ben McKay, said that neither of her changes is new.
“My overall impression right now is that she is talking about a lot of changes, that [have] been talked about for decades now here in Wyoming,” McKay said.
According to her campaign website, Throne was born in Campbell County and spent almost all her life in Wyoming and this is one of her strengths as a candidate for governing the state of Wyoming.
One of the main topics the speech addressed was the importance of diversification regarding Wyoming’s economy, which the increase of renewable energy sources is a big part.
“We have to take advantage of all the opportunities that Wyoming has,” Throne said. “Wyoming has tremendous opportunities in renewables and sometimes the fear takes over. The fear that those renewables will take place of traditional sources of energy, so we cannot support them.”
Another topic discussed pertained to the youth that are leaving the state of Wyoming.
“Only we, people, can create our future,” Throne said. “We export coal, oil and natural gas. And we also export people – our greatest natural resource.”
McKay also recognizes that the youth are leaving Wyoming, however, it is due to the shortage of jobs available for them once they graduate.
Another discussion touched on the issue of crowded prisons in Wyoming.
Throne said, “I don’t support private jails,” however, she understands that they could be a possible help in such cases of overcrowding such as with Uinta County.
She said, what happens in Uinta County is “the problem with our politicians not taking care of the community.”
Among other topics discussed at the meeting involved wind farms, of which she said: “there is no one single solution” and that this issue needs a long thoughtful conversation.
