WYOMING
      Nov. 2, 2010 Governor                                     

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+Matt Mead (R)
123,780
 		65.68%
Leslie Petersen (D)
 		43,240
 		22.94%
Mike Wheeler (L)
 		5,362
 		2.84%
write-ins
 		16,081
 		8.53%

188,463
Ballots Cast: 190,822.
Plurality: 80,540 votes (42.74 percentage points).
WY Secretary of State


REPUBLICAN PICKUP
Notes:  After speculation that he might seek to challenge the state's term limits law, Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) announced on Mar. 4, 2010 that he would not seek a third term.  Former U.S. Attorney and rancher Matt Mead (R) emerged from the very competitive Aug. 17 GOP primary and went on to easily defeat Wyoming Democratic Party chair Leslie Petersen (D), Mike Wheeler (L), and conservative retired surgeon and rancher Taylor Haynes, who ran a well-organized write-in campaign.

Seven candidates vied for the Republican nomination led by Mead, State Auditor Rita Meyer, former state Rep. and former director of the state Department of Agriculture Ron Micheli, and state Rep. and former House Speaker Colin Simpson.  Simpson was son of former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson and Mead's mother, Mary Mead, was the Republican nominee for governor in 1990.  Mead won by 703 votes of 105,760 tallied, gaining 30,308 votes (28.7%) followed by Meyer 29,605 (28.0%), Micheli 27,630 (26.1%), Simpson 16,722  (15.8%) and the other three candidates at less than 1-percent each.  Mead and family put about $900,000 into the primary, far outspending the rest of the field.  On the Democratic side, of 22,851 votes tallied, Petersen defeated pilot Pete Gosar by 10,785 votes (47.2%) to 8,409 (36.8%); three other candidates rounded out the field.

Mead, Petersen and Wheeler debated on Oct. 12 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.


Campaign Managers:
Matt Mead:  Bill Novolny
(Feb. 2010)  Campaign manager on Friends of Mark Gordon, Inc. congressional campaign, Dec. 2007-Sept. 2008.  Commercial lender for Bank of Buffalo, Aug. 2007-June 2008.  Senior research assistant to Sen. Michael B. Enzi, Sept. 2003-June 2007.  M.A. in national security strategic studies from U.S. Naval War College, 2007; B.A. in international relations from Michigan State University, 2003.




See also:
Kerry Drake.  "So what did Democrats get by electing Matt Mead?"  WyoFile, Mar. 18, 2014.  [column]

Michelle Dynes.  "Freudenthal declines to endorse Petersen."  Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Sept. 29, 2010.

Jeremy Pelzer.  "Taylor Haynes mounts write-in campaign in Wyoming governor's race."  Casper Star-Tribune, Sept. 15, 2010.

Jeremy Pelzer.  "Mead, Petersen took different path to victory in Wyoming primary."  Casper Star-Tribune, Aug. 19, 2010.

Jessica Taylor.  "Meyer concedes to Mead in Wyo."  Politico, Aug. 18, 2010.

Joan Barron.  "Mead piles up $1.1M for his run for Wyoming governor.  Casper Star-Tribune, Aug. 12, 2010.

Alex Isenstadt and Charles Mahtesian.  "Wyoming race is wide open."  Politico, Mar. 5, 2010.

Bill McCarthy.  "Mead officially running for governor."  Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Jan. 23, 2010.

Bill Sniffin.  "Will He, Won't He? Question Looms Over 2010 Gov Race."  WyoFile, Jan. 22, 2010.

Erika Lovley.  "Wyoming gov. to seek third term?"  Politico, Oct. 8, 2009.



 


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