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1966 Wyoming state elections

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A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 8, 1966. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. After winning all of the statewide executive offices in 1962, Republicans did even better in 1966, improving their margins of victory in each race and holding all the offices.

Governor

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Incumbent Republican Governor Clifford Hansen opted to run for the U.S. Senate rather than seek re-election. Former Goshen County Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Hathaway emerged as the Republican nominee, while attorney Ernest Wilkerson won a crowded and close Democratic primary. Hathaway largely duplicated Hansen's performance from four years prior, winning by a slightly smaller margin.

1966 Wyoming gubernatorial election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Stanley Hathaway 65,624 54.29% −0.18%
Democratic Ernest Wilkerson 54,298 45.53% +0.18%
Majority 10,375 8.58% −0.36%
Turnout 120,873
Republican hold

Secretary of State

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Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Thyra Thomson ran for re-election to a second term. No Democratic candidates initially filed to run against her, but a successful write-in campaign by L. W. "Jack" Jones, a member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees, allowed him to claim the Democratic nomination. However, Thomson retained a considerable amount of popularity and easily defeated Jones to win a second term.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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No Democratic candidates filed to oppose Thomson prior to the end of qualifying. However, the Wyoming Democratic Party selected L. W. "Jack" Jones, a member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees, to run a write-in campaign in the hopes of winning the nomination by that method.[2] Jones won 3,879 votes as a write-in candidate in the primary,[1] thereby enabling him to receive the Democratic Party's nomination, which he accepted.[3]

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thyra Thomson (inc.) 45,151 100.00%
Total votes 45,151 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1966 Wyoming Secretary of State election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Thyra Thomson (inc.) 77,488 64.30% +4.38%
Democratic L. W. "Jack" Jones 43,021 35.70% −4.38%
Majority 34,467 28.60% +8.75%
Turnout 120,509
Republican hold

Auditor

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Incumbent Republican State Auditor Minnie A. Mitchell opted to run for State Treasurer instead of for a fourth term as State Auditor, thereby allowing term-limited State Treasurer Everett T. Copenhaver to run for State Auditor.[4] Copenhaver faced minimal challengers in his bid for Auditor, winning the Republican primary unopposed and only facing rancher Bob Bentley, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. Copenhaver ultimately defeated Bentley in a landslide.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Bentley 34,265 100.00%
Total votes 34,265 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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  • Everett T. Copenhaver, Wyoming State Treasurer[4]

Results

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Republican Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Everett T. Copenhaver 43,328 100.00%
Total votes 43,328 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1966 Wyoming Auditor election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Everett T. Copenhaver 68,714 58.03% −1.04%
Democratic Bob Bentley 49,688 41.97% +1.04%
Majority 19,026 16.07% −2.07%
Turnout 116,409
Republican hold

Treasurer

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Incumbent Republican State Treasurer Everett T. Copenhaver was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, but wanted to run for another state office. The decision by Secretary of State Thyra Thomson to not run for governor prevented him from running for Secretary of State, and so State Auditor Minnie A. Mitchell opted to not seek another term as Auditor so that Copenhaver could succeed her. Mitchell, in turn, filed to run for State Treasurer.[4] She was opposed in the Republican primary by State Representative Jack Van Mark, whom she easily defeated. And in the general election, she faced Democrat Bob Adams, a former state representative who had repeatedly run for Auditor or Treasurer for the preceding 12 years. She decisively defeated Adams and returned to the office of State Treasurer, to which she had first been appointed in 1952.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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  • Bob Adams, former State Representative from Laramie County, 1962 Democratic nominee for Treasurer, 1958 Democratic nominee for State Auditor, 1954 Democratic nominee for State Auditor[5]

Results

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Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Adams 34,574 100.00%
Total votes 34,574 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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  • Minnie A. Mitchell, Wyoming State Auditor, former State Treasurer[4]
  • Jack Van Mark, State Representative from Goshen County[4]

Results

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Republican Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Minnie A. Mitchell 30,319 65.05%
Republican Jack Van Mark 16,287 34.95%
Total votes 46,606 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1966 Wyoming Treasurer election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Minnie A. Mitchell 67,711 56.95% −0.78%
Democratic Bob Adams 51,177 43.05% +0.78%
Majority 16,534 13.91% −1.56%
Turnout 118,888 100.00%
Republican hold

Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Incumbent Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Cecil Shaw ran for re-election to a second term, despite some speculation that he might run for governor.[6] Shaw was challenged in the Republican primary by Harry Roberts, a member of the state board of education, and teacher Nancy J. Rymill. During the campaign, Shaw was attacked for allegedly using state funds in assistance of his campaign,[7] a scandal that was compounded by his poor relationship with the Republican political establishment in the state.[8] Ultimately, Roberts defeated Shaw in the Republican primary by a decisive margin, advancing to the general election, where he faced Katherine H. Vehar, the Democratic nominee and a former Deputy State Superintendent under Superintendent Velma Linford. Roberts narrowly defeated Vehar, winning election as Superintendent.

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katherine H. Vehar 14,292 37.00%
Democratic William G. "Bill" Rector 13,453 34.83%
Democratic Robert L. Beaver 10,880 28.17%
Total votes 38,625 100.00%

Republican primary

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Candidates

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  • Harry Roberts, member of the Wyoming Board of Education[10]
  • Cecil M. Shaw, incumbent State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Nancy Jones Rymill, junior high school math teacher[6]

Results

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Republican Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Harry Roberts 20,599 44.15%
Republican Cecil M. Shaw (inc.) 17,100 36.65%
Republican Nancy Jones Rymill 8,954 19.19%
Total votes 46,653 100.00%

General election

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Results

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1966 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Harry Roberts 62,066 52.50% +2.19%
Democratic Katherine H. Vehar 56,147 47.50% −2.19%
Majority 5,919 5.01% +4.38%
Turnout 118,213 100.00%
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Thomson, Thyra (1967). 1967 Wyoming Official Directory and 1966 Election Returns. pp. 72–74.
  2. ^ "Democrats Name Candidate for State Secretary". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. July 25, 1966. p. 9. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Recount Demands Likely In Congressional Primaries: Miller Refuses To Concede, Peck May Challenge". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. August 18, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Mitchell Files for Treasurer". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. June 7, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  5. ^ "Kinney First To File for Senate Seat". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. June 30, 1966. p. 2. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Shaw Plans Last Minute Declaration". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. July 6, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  7. ^ "Christian Overtakes Miller in Late Tally; Other Races Settled: Wilkerson, Hathaway Nominated". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. August 17, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  8. ^ "Exciting Campaign". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. August 18, 1966. p. 21. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  9. ^ "Miss Vehar Puts Stress On Teaching". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. August 3, 1966. p. 5. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  10. ^ "Roberts, Shaw File For School Chief". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. July 7, 1966. p. 13. Retrieved June 5, 2021.