Boys and Girls Club to Host Wyoming Secretary of State Candidate

Update: Mark Armstrong said on Thursday that he will be attending the forum.

Announced in a press release, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming will host a candidates’ forum for those running in the Republican primary for Secretary of State.

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The free event is open to the public and will take place on Aug 8, at 5:30 p.m. at 910 Barbara Street in Casper.

The forum can also be viewed via live stream on Wyoming PBS.

According to the release, the forum format will include questions by the facilitators, Boys and Girls Club teens in attendance, and general audience members.

This is the second forum that the Boys and Girls Club has hosted this year, the last one featuring candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the second year that they've hosted, the last being in 2018 with candidates for governor.

The forum, like the previous one, will be facilitated by Craig Blumenshine, former Wyoming PBS Sr. Public Affairs Producer, and Steve Peck, Wyoming PBS Senior Public Affairs Producer.

There are currently three candidates in the Republican primary for Secretary of State, Chuck Gray, Tara Nethercott, and R. Mark Armstrong.

Dan Docksteader, President of the Wyoming Senate, who was running in the primary, dropped out in July to endorse Nethercott.

Patricia Bratton, foundation development director at Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming, said that they have extended an invitation to all three candidates, but have only gotten responses from Gray and Nethercott.

At the last forum, they had about 40 people show up, so Bratton said they expect similar numbers to come out this time around.

While they aren't doing anything for Democrats due to a lack of candidates, Bratton said they may consider doing another forum for the general election.

Bratton said that the kids that have shown up to their forums appreciate the chance to ask questions to the candidates.

"They're such a hoot. They really enjoyed it, they of course will tell me what I want to hear, but they really did think, they appreciated the honesty of the candidates when they answered their specific questions," Bratton said. "That was important to them. As most kids, they see things from a different perspective and they liked hearing how that was answered."