Women Should Seek Political Offices

Today marks the beginning of the filing period for people who want to run for office in the town, county or state. Despite women comprising half of Wyoming’s population, a recent article in the Casper Star Tribune noted that women in the Equality State comprise only 13 percent of the seats in the state legislature and less than 6 percent of county commissions. Jackson Town Councilwoman Melissa Turley is the sole woman on Jackson’s Town Council. She’s also a coordinator for the Wyoming Women’s Legislative Caucus, which is attempting to encourage more women to consider running for office in the Equality State. “We have a strong history of women in leadership, including the first female governor in the nation, and right in Jackson, the first female mayor and town council in the 1920s,” Turley said. The filing period ends June 1^st while the filing period for non-primary positions, such as school and hospital boards, is August 8^th to August 27^th. Filing forms may be found online. – Robyn Vincent