Laramie Reporter to moderate live county clerk, sheriff debates

Hosted by UW’s political science and criminal justice clubs, the debate is set to feature county clerk candidates Kayla White and Sue Reding and sheriff candidates Aaron Appelhans and Joel Senior.

The Laramie Reporter will be moderating a pair of public debates Thursday night in the University of Wyoming’s Scarlett Auditorium.

Candidates for Albany County Clerk and Albany County Sheriff will share their opinions on the issues at stake in their respective elections, as well as their goals for the offices they hope to guide.

The event is free to attend and hosted by the UW Political Science Club and the UW Criminal Justice Club.

The night kicks off with a debate between Albany County Clerk candidates Kayla White (Democrat) and Sue Reding (Republican). Both candidates ran unopposed in the primary; the winner will replace the outgoing longtime county clerk, Jackie Gonzales.

The county clerk’s most visible responsibility is running local elections. They serve a variety of other functions as well, from issuing marriage licenses to outlining the Albany County Commission’s agenda.

Following a brief intermission, the night will continue with a debate between the candidates for Albany County Sheriff. Sheriff Aaron Appelhans (Democrat), who was appointed to his current position less than two years ago, must win his first election to keep the seat. He faces a challenge from former Laramie Police Department Detective Joel Senior (Republican).

The winner will run the Albany County Sheriff’s Office for the next four years, overseeing jail administration, coordinating search and rescue efforts, serving court summons and evictions, and carrying out the other local law enforcement duties of the sheriff’s office.

Both Appelhans and Senior faced and defeated primary challenges in what was, by far, the county’s costliest primary election.

The debate starts 6 p.m. Thursday in UW’s Scarlett Auditorium in the College of Business. The sheriff’s debate starts at 7 p.m. The event is free to attend, open to the public and will feature questions submitted by UW’s Political Science and Criminal Justice clubs. Members of the public can submit suggested questions for candidates at this link.

General Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.