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1986 Wyoming state elections

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A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 4, 1986. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Democrats performed well in the year's elections; Democratic nominee Mike Sullivan won the gubernatorial election by a decisive margin, Superintendent Lynn Simons won a sizable majority in her bid for a third term, and Kathy Karpan won the open Secretary of State's race. Republicans prevailed in elections for State Auditor and Treasurer.

Governor

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Incumbent Democratic Governor Edgar Herschler declined to run for re-election to a fourth term, and attorney Mike Sullivan won the Democratic primary to succeed him. He faced former State Representative Pete Simpson in the general election, whom he defeated by a decisive margin.

1986 Wyoming gubernatorial election<[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mike Sullivan 88,879 53.96% −9.18%
Republican Pete Simpson 75,841 46.04% +9.18%
Majority 13,038 7.92% −18.37%
Turnout 164,720
Democratic hold

Secretary of State

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Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Thyra Thomson declined to run for re-election to a seventh term. Her son, K. C. Thomson, a Sheridan banker, ran in the Republican primary to succeed her, as did State Senate President Jerry Geis. The contest between the two was extremely close, with unofficial results showing Thomson with a 61-vote lead over Geis.[2] The recount confirmed Thomson's narrow victory over Geis, and he advanced to the general election,[3] where he faced Kathy Karpan, the former Director of the Wyoming Department of Health and Social Services in Governor Edgar Herschler's cabinet. Karpan ended up narrowly defeating Thomson, the first Democratic victory in a Secretary of State's race since 1958.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Karpan 38,201 100.0%
Total votes 38,201 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican K. C. Thomson 44,868 50.03%
Republican Jerry Geis 44,807 100.00%
Total votes 89,675 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1986 Wyoming Secretary of State election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kathy Karpan 86,449 53.59% +7.29%
Republican K. C. Thomson 74,880 46.41% −7.29%
Majority 11,569 7.17% −0.24%
Turnout 161,329 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

Auditor

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Incumbent Republican State Auditor Jim Griffith declined to seek re-election to a fourth term. State House Speaker Jack Sidi won the Republican nomination unopposed, and faced Bil Tucker, a technical manager and a former trustee on the Albany County School Board, in the general election. Sidi ultimately defeated Tucker by a decisive margin, though considerably reduced from Griffith's 1982 landslide.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bil Tucker 36,254 100.00%
Total votes 36,254 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Sidi 78,168 100.00%
Total votes 78,168 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1986 Wyoming Auditor election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jack Sidi 86,384 55.30% −18.31%
Democratic Bil Tucker 69,819 44.70% +18.31%
Majority 16,565 10.60% −36.62%
Turnout 156,203
Republican hold

Treasurer

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In 1982, Wyoming voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed state treasurers to seek re-election,[8] making incumbent Republican State Treasurer Stan Smith the first treasurer in state history to be eligible for re-election to a second term. Though Smith initially announced that he would run for governor, he ended his campaign and sought re-election as Treasurer.[9] He faced a challenge in the Republican primary from Lee Galeotos, a former official in Governor Stanley Hathaway's administration, who announced that he would run for State Treasurer while Smith was running for governor. When Smith ran for re-election instead, Galeotos remained in the race.[10] Smith defeated Galeotos by a wide margin, and faced former State Representative Carrol P. Orrison, the Democratic nominee, in the general election.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carrol P. Orrison 36,080 100.00%
Total votes 36,080 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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  • Stan Smith, incumbent State Treasurer
  • Sam Galeotos, former State Director of Administrative and Fiscal Control[12]

Results

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Republican Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Stan Smith (inc.) 60,411 68.15%
Republican Sam Galeotos 28,233 31.85%
Total votes 88,644 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1986 Wyoming Treasurer election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Stan Smith (inc.) 98,502 61.81% +3.25%
Democratic Carrol P. Orrison 60,870 38.19% −3.25%
Majority 37,632 23.61% +6.49%
Turnout 159,372 100.00%
Republican hold

Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Incumbent Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Lynn Simons ran for re-election to a third term. She faced Millard I. Meredith, the Superintendent of the Converse County School District No. 1 and the Republican nominee, in the general election. Simons defeated Meredith by a sizable margin, largely replicating her victory from 1986.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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  • Lynn Simons, incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction

Results

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Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lynn Simons (inc.) 39,172 100.00%
Total votes 39,172 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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  • Millard I. Meredith, Superintendent of the Converse County School District No. 1, 1978 Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction[13]

Results

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Republican Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Millard I. Meredith 77,107 100.00%
Total votes 77,107 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1986 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Lynn Simons (inc.) 90,978 56.88% −0.08%
Republican Millard I. Meredith 68,960 43.12% +0.08%
Majority 22,018 13.77% −0.17%
Turnout 159,938 100.00%
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Karpan, Kathy (1987). 1987 Wyoming Official Directory and 1986 Election Returns. pp. 162, 275–76.
  2. ^ Barron, Joan (August 21, 1986). "Recount of secretary of state race begins". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. pp. A1, A14. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. ^ "Vote recount shows winner still Thomson". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. August 27, 1986. pp. A1, A12. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Barron, Joan (March 15, 1986). "Geis enters running for secretary of state". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A5. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  5. ^ "Karpan will run for Thomson's job: DHSS director will resign in June to seek nomination". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. May 3, 1986. p. A3. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Barron, Joan (June 7, 1986). "Candidate for state auditor says his campaign will cost at least $60,000". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. D4. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  7. ^ Barron, Joan (March 14, 1986). "Sidi announces candidacy for state auditor's position". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A3. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  8. ^ White, Philip (November 11, 1982). "Voters not voting kills amendment". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Barron, Joan (April 12, 1986). "Smith drops out of race for governor: He says he'll run for treasurer again". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  10. ^ Melnykovych, Andrew (April 16, 1986). "Galeotos staying in treasurer's race". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A3. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  11. ^ Barron, Joan (June 18, 1986). "Casper man files for state treasurer". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "Galeotos expected to run for treasurer". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. January 18, 1986. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Meredith announces candidacy for superintendent of public instruction". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. January 16, 1986. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.