Your ultimate guide to the Senate 10 Republican primary
The race for an open state senate seat has pit right-wing ag lobbyist Keith Kennedy against conservative banker Gary Crum. The candidates disagree on abortion, energy and guns.
Republican voters living in Senate District 10 will choose their party’s nominee for that legislative seat during the Primary Election on August 20.
On the ballot are Keith Kennedy, a right-wing lobbyist for agricultural interests, and Gary Crum, a conservative former University of Wyoming football star and banker.
Sen. Dan Furphy, the district’s incumbent, is not running for reelection, instead retiring from the Wyoming Senate after one term.
Kennedy said he decided to run because he felt the government infringed on individual liberties during the pandemic and, having been around Cheyenne for so many years as a lobbyist, wanted to join the political conversation more holistically.
Meanwhile, Crum is running, at least in part, to strengthen rural health care. Both men are very conservative, having signaled support for a new law requiring schools to out transgender students, using public dollars to fund private schools and strong Second Amendment rights. But they differ on a number of other social issues, such as abortion, with Kennedy taking a harder line than Crum.
Both Kennedy and Crum have been hesitant to talk about different issues. Kennedy would not say whether he would support banning gender studies at UW, while Crum pivoted from a forum question about abortion to speak instead about his signature issue, supporting rural health care.
Whoever wins the Republican primary for Senate 10 is likely to face Mike Selmer in the General Election. Selmer is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
While Senate 10 races have been competitive, the district is consistently represented by Republicans.
In 2008, Incumbent Republican Phil Nicholas received 55% of the vote, defeating Democrat Neil Harrison, who received 39% of the vote.
In 2012, Nicholas ran unopposed, earning 70% of the vote.
In 2016, Republican Glenn Moniz earned 55% of the vote, defeating Democrat Narina Nunez, who received 41% of the vote.
In 2020, Republican Dan Furphy earned 56% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jackie Grimes, who received 44% of the vote.
This year’s election will be the first to occur since the 2020 U.S. Census and the redistricting that followed. Today, about 55% of voters in Senate District 10 are registered as Republicans while about 40% are registered as Democrats and 5% are registered some other way.
Keith Kennedy
Kennedy was born and raised in northern Colorado, running his family’s ranch and farm for 15 years after junior college. He moved to Wyoming in the 1990s after purchasing a vegetation control business and completed a bachelor’s at UW. He eventually earned a master’s of Ag Business from Kansas State University, according to his campaign site.
Today, Kennedy is a leader in agricultural circles, serving as the executive director of the Wyoming Wheat Marketing Commission and of the Wyoming Ag Business Association, lobbying for these and other agricultural interests at the State Legislature.
Kennedy said lobbyists limit themselves to the conversations they were sent to Cheyenne to take part in. But they listen to a much broader variety, and Kennedy said he wanted to add his voice to those other conversations.
“The best analogy I can give is: it feels like you got on the varsity, but you never played the game, for a long time, and it’s time to get in,” he said. “And watching this last legislature convinced me even more because it was more acrimonious than it has been in the past. And even if you differ on views, you can still be civil … Everybody ought to be treated with respect.”
Kennedy ranks parental rights and school choice as his top issues, but also wants to “stabilize” property taxes and lessen the state’s dependence on federal funding. Kennedy also notes defending rights “as granted by nature and nature’s God” and defending life “from conception to natural death” as key priorities.
Inaccurate mailers, using a photo of an unrelated “Keith Kennedy” from Virginia were mailed to Albany County residents this summer. WyoFile reported those mailers were the work of an out-of-state political organization. The rampant spread of misinformation in this year’s primaries has spurred the creation of a Republican website dedicated to correcting mailers of the sort received in Senate District 10.
Gary Crum
A lifelong Wyomingite born in Rawlins, Crum was a finance major and football star at the University of Wyoming. He was drafted into the NFL by the Miami Dolphins and eventually earned an MBA from the University of Utah.
In 2006, he co-founded Wyoming State Bank, which grew into Western States Bank. The bank is headquartered in Laramie and Crum serves as chairman and CEO.
Crum is involved in the community through youth sports and as a scoutmaster. According to his campaign site, Crum has also officiated basketball and football games in the years since his graduation, including bowl games.
“I’m proud to be born and raised in this great state,” Crum states on his site. “I’ve spent decades living and working in Laramie and I’m committed to serving you, the citizens of Albany County.”
One of Crum’s top priorities is rural health care.
“Gary believes in ensuring access to affordable and comprehensive health care for all, especially in rural areas,” his website states. “He is dedicated to supporting local health care facilities and expanding health care services in underserved communities.”
Crum also says he will “address escalating property taxes” and increase funding for education, though his website also promises “spending cuts” without indicating where those cuts will be made.
Comparing the candidates
Abortion
At time of print, abortion is legal in Wyoming.
The state passed two abortion bans during the 2023 Legislative Session, one prohibiting nearly all surgical abortions, another prohibiting all chemical or medication abortions. But they have been challenged in court by abortion providers and advocates. Final arguments in that case were heard more than half a year ago, yet state residents are still awaiting a ruling.
While neither candidate can be described as “pro-choice,” Kennedy and Crum take distinct stances on the question of what should be legal in Wyoming.
For Kennedy, a conservative Catholic who has vowed to defend life “from conception to natural death,” the issue is uncomplicated.
“Abortion should not be legal in Wyoming, nor should pharmaceuticals be used for abortion,” he said.
Kennedy adds, on his campaign site, “A child in utero is a human being, he or she can be nothing else … Therefore, abortion is the intentional taking of an innocent, defenseless human being, and is wrong.”
Crum takes a softer position. During a League of Women Voters forum in June, he said some exceptions have to be allowed.
“I’m pro-life, but there is a place for abortions when the mother’s life is in jeopardy,” he said.
Crum used the question to address his central campaign issue.
“I think we spend so much time talking about this one single issue that we forget about all the other health care needs out there in this country,” he said. “We need to focus on OBGYN services for mothers that have to travel from Rawlins or Wamsutter to Laramie to deliver a baby. We have to find a way to get medical doctors and pediatricians in those communities. We have to find a way … to solve mental health issues in this state. We have to find a way to make sure there’s ambulance and emergency medical services in this state.”
Property taxes
Recent action by the legislature provided property tax relief for some Wyoming homeowners. This could help those struggling to pay rising taxes but could also hurt the counties and schools that rely on that tax base.
Kennedy said he wants to ensure “stability for homeowners” possibly by tying property taxes to acquisition value or by increasing sales and use taxes to offset “a portion of property taxes.”
“I don’t want to shift the burden so much away from residential that it becomes a burden on commercial especially,” Kennedy said. “Because one of the things that we want to try and do is bring more jobs and businesses to Wyoming.”
Crum’s public statements and campaign site are light on specifics when it comes to his desired tax policy. The candidate’s campaign site, and an identical answer on Vote411.org, state Crum will focus on:
“Developing a fair tax structure for all that includes responsible property tax structure while being mindful that property taxes support education and local government. Remaining aware of tax impacts to those on fixed incomes.”
Climate change and energy
Neither candidate openly advocates directly addressing climate change.
Kennedy does not accept the scientific consensus on climate change, which says the phenomenon is primarily caused by human activity and that action is not just possible but necessary. Instead, Kennedy believes other natural factors are at play and further, that reducing CO2 in the atmosphere is a flawed goal.
“[Human activity] may account for a very small portion but we also need to remember that carbon dioxide is plant food,” Kennedy said. “Currently the levels in the atmosphere are at about 4.5 parts per million and plant life dies at 2.5 parts per million [and] all life on Earth essentially depends on plant life.”
Atmospheric carbon dioxide is actually sitting at about 424 parts per million, or ppm. Before the Industrial Revolution, that figure fluctuated largely between 175 and 300 ppm. The atmosphere is not currently in danger of running out of CO2 or dropping low enough to starve plants. Humanity has added at least 2 ppm to the atmosphere every year for more than a decade.
While renewable energy sources like wind and solar are getting cheaper and more popular, Kennedy said he doesn’t see those as Wyoming’s future. He said wind turbines and solar panels are simply not as reliable as fossil fuels, though Kennedy prefers a different term.
“I would call it the hydrocarbon industry and in some form or another, Wyoming will continue to provide baseload electrical generation whether that’s coal or natural gas or nuclear,” he said. “Wyoming’s future is really bright with baseload, especially with coal, natural gas and nuclear.”
Meanwhile, Crum’s website says he “is committed to implementing eco-friendly policies, preserving natural landscapes, and addressing environmental challenges to ensure a greener future for generations to come” though he does not mention or directly address the specific challenges posed by climate change.
Like Gov. Mark Gordon, Crum supports an “all of the above” energy policy — meaning he sees a future for fossil fuels alongside renewable and nuclear energy.
The debate between those advocating “all of the above” and those advocating for fossil fuels is playing out in a state that is already feeling the impacts of a changing climate.
Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have led to a warmer planet, where extreme weather events, including intense wildfires and heat waves, are more frequent.
The planet has just experienced 12 months of record-setting temperatures with a global average temperature of 1.63 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
Both Wyoming and the city of Laramie should expect to see more record-setting highs in the coming years. Projections for both were highlighted in the city’s new Emissions Reduction Plan.
“The state of Wyoming is projected to experience increased risks to public health as a result of severe weather, including a greater frequency of extremely hot and cold days,” the plan notes. “Specifically, by 2050, Wyoming is likely to have twice as many days above 100°F as it has today. The City of Laramie, in particular, is considered to be at ‘high’ heat risk, and is projected to experience 36 hot days per year (i.e., days above 86°F) by 2050, as opposed to [the] 7 hot days per year that it traditionally experiences.”
Laramie just saw its hottest July 12 on record, besting a 70-year record by two degrees Fahrenheit.
Parental and LGBTQ+ rights
Conversations about “parental rights” and conversations about LGBTQ+ rights have gone hand-in-hand in Wyoming in recent years. During the last legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill requiring school districts to out transgender students to their families in the name of parental rights.
Both Kennedy and Crum support that law.
“I do support the legislation that passed during the previous legislature,” Kennedy said. “Having said that, we need to treat all individuals with respect and compassion. Specifically with minors, parents should be the ultimate authority, given that caveat that … abuse isn't part of that.”
The law does make mandatory reporting exceptions for instances in which a student is going home to an abusive household. But critics have pointed out that school officials must be prepared to take the extraordinary step of reporting suspected abuse in the family to the Department of Family Services in order to withhold information. Additionally, with LGBTQ+ youth specifically, there are no protections against other forms of mistreatment that are common but do not rise to the level of criminal abuse. School leaders in Albany County worry the forced outting policy could lead to more students being made homeless.
While Kennedy has said “parental rights” are his top priority, he does not have any specific bills he is hoping to see or sponsor.
“What new bills might be considered in a future legislature would be complete speculation,” he said. “And I think we need to look at that with respect and compassion.”
His campaign website makes his position on transgender rights clear:
“Biological males should not be allowed to compete against biological females in athletic events, and restrooms and locker rooms should only be used by a single biological sex.”
Kennedy added in an interview with the Reporter:
“I sometimes wonder if we won't look at what has happened here [as] some social contagion, very much like the lobotomy craze was in the mental health industry in the 30s through the early 60s. And 50 years down the road, will we look at this as something similar to that?”
Crum also supports the new forced outting law.
“I really believe that children are best raised by their parents,” Crum told the League of Women Voters forum in June. “And in order for the parents to do a good job, they need to know what’s going on with their children, not only in the home, but at school.”
Crum said “there’s ways to handle” abuse and there’s “zero excuse for abuse.”
“But at the same time, there’s zero reason that parents don’t understand what’s going on with their children in the schools,” he said. “And they’re the No. 1 source to help raise a child and the school certainly can help with that. But I really believe the parent should know what's going on with their child.”
Religion
Both candidates have said they are strongly motivated by their faith.
Kennedy proudly and prominently identifies himself as a “Christian Catholic” serving as a lector, Eucharistic minister and hospitality minister for St. Paul’s Newman Center. While this informs his stances on abortion and euthanasia (he opposes both), it also serves as the cornerstone of his broader philosophical outlook.
Among his central policy positions, Kennedy says he stands for “all of our rights as granted by nature and nature’s God” as enumerated in the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions.
He has not spoken publicly about nonbelievers. Crum, on the other hand, has.
During the forum in June, Crum fielded a question about his religious affiliation. He did not name a specific church, but said he attends weekly, sometimes twice a week, and attends “a couple Bible studies” on top of that.
Crum said he “100%” believes in the separation of church and state, but then added those who believe in God are better than those who do not, repeating a false but common trope that atheists lack morality.
“I believe [with] religion, it’s your choice, whatever you want to do; personally, I don’t believe it belongs in government,” he said. “But I do believe if you have a form of religion and believe in a higher power, that you’re a better person for it. And you have boundaries for yourself out there if you believe in a higher power.”
School choice
Ongoing debates about charter schools touch on both parental rights and concerns about the separation of church and state.
During the last legislative session, two separate bills that reached the governor’s desk dealt with charter schools. The first, which would have made it easier for charter schools to bypass a state authority and apply for federal grants themselves, was vetoed.
But the other, a bill establishing “education savings accounts,” was signed into law.
An “education savings account” refers to money the state government can now pay to eligible families, to be used by a family to pay for tuition at a private or charter school.
Both Kennedy and Crum support the establishment of ESAs.
Kennedy’s campaign site states ESAs advance his school choice and parental rights goals “by encouraging parents to take a more active role in their children’s education.”
This would also allow parents to choose schools which more closely align with the “morals and ethics” they want to impart on their children, Kennedy said.
“The state’s obligation is to provide education for students and that education shouldn’t be contrary to the morals and ethics of the parents,” he said. “In my mind, an expanded education savings account program would serve the public interest.”
Opponents of ESAs, including the Wyoming Education Association, have raised concerns about the constitutionality of such bills as they funnel public tax dollars to “private and parochial education.”
“This bill becoming law is a massive blow to our public education system,” WEA President Grady Hutcherson told WyoFile earlier this year. “It is a reckless, negative program that eats away at the already-limited resources available to support the 93% of students enrolled in our public schools.”
Crum said he doesn’t see it that way. His thinking is more in line with his opponent’s.
“If somebody wants to send their child to private school, that’s great,” he told the LWV forum audience. “I also believe that if you need funding for that private school … we’re really funding the student’s education, we’re not funding the school itself. So I would say we could take that money and help fund that private school.”
Crum did add one caveat.
“However, if that student decided to be in band or choir or basketball, then they need to pay for that and reimburse the school for that cost of that activity, just to offset what the school would pay for that,” he said.
Guns
Both candidates say they are strong advocates for Second Amendment rights, but Kennedy attacked Crum in the press over what he called Crum’s “squishy middle” position on gun rights.
Crum’s campaign site used to have a sentence saying he was open to “responsible gun control policies.” That line is no longer on Crum’s site, but he has added a prominent paragraph to the main page stating he will “support and fight for Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”
“People in Wyoming use firearms responsibly to protect and provide for their families, and they should be allowed to continue to do so,” Crum writes.
As with other issues, Crum answered a question about gun control, gun violence and firearm-related suicides by speaking about the current deficiencies in rural health care.
“I don’t believe guns are the problem,” he said. “I believe it’s a mental health issue.”
Crum said he wants to see more funding devoted to rural mental health resources.
Kennedy’s campaign site states that he wants to repeal gun-free zones in public schools, hospitals and government meetings.
Lawmakers attempted to do this during the most recent session, passing House Bill 125 with overwhelming majorities in both chambers. Gov. Gordon vetoed the bill, saying it infringed on local control.
Kennedy’s site argues lawmakers should bring back that bill, pass it once more and override the governor’s probable second veto.