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cjyoungforwyoming.com
www.facebook.com/people/CJ-Young-For-Wyoming/61590466500450/

What aspects of your background do you believe make you well-qualified to serve in this position and how have those experiences shaped your approach to public service?

I believe I offer a unique combination of hands-on experience, leadership, and public service that prepares me to serve as Wyoming's next Secretary of State. I have spent more than a decade serving the people of Wyoming in state government, including as Wyoming's Elections Director, where I helped administer statewide elections, worked closely with county clerks, and ensured our elections were conducted according to the law. Beyond elections, I am a Wyoming small business owner who understands the importance of efficient, responsive government for businesses and entrepreneurs. I also serve as an officer in the United States Navy Reserve and have spent many years as a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol, experiences that have reinforced the importance of integrity, accountability, teamwork, and service before self. Growing up on a ranch in Carbon County taught me the value of hard work, personal responsibility, and keeping my word. Those lessons have guided me throughout my career. My approach to public service is straightforward: follow the law, treat people with respect, make decisions based on facts rather than politics, and leave government better than I found it. Most importantly, my experience means I will be ready to lead on day one. I understand the responsibilities of the office, the challenges facing Wyoming, and the importance of supporting our county clerks, businesses, and citizens. The people of Wyoming deserve a Secretary of State who can step into the role immediately, without a learning curve, and provide steady, experienced leadership from the first day in office.

What would be your #1 goal you'd like to accomplish, if elected?

My number one goal would be to modernize the Secretary of State's Office to better serve the people of Wyoming. By improving technology, streamlining processes, and strengthening cybersecurity, we can provide faster, more efficient services while protecting sensitive information. That commitment extends to every responsibility of the office—from administering secure, transparent elections and supporting our county clerks to helping businesses interact with state government more efficiently. At the end of my term, I want Wyoming citizens to have even greater confidence that their Secretary of State's Office is professional, responsive, and worthy of their trust.

What steps would you take to ensure state expenditures comply with legal requirements while delivering measurable benefits to Wyoming residents?

Taxpayer dollars should always be spent responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with the law. My education with a masters in public administration and doctorate of law, combined with my experience working in the Secretary of State's Office, has given me a strong understanding of responsible government management and the office's priorities. As Wyoming's former Elections Director, I understand where investments improve service to the public and where unnecessary spending can be avoided. I will ensure every expenditure complies with state law while evaluating programs and technology based on measurable results, improved efficiency, stronger security, and better service for Wyoming's citizens and businesses. Good stewardship means treating every taxpayer dollar as if it were our own.

How do you believe the Towns, Counties, and State would be affected if residential property tax revenues were reduced by 50%, and what alternatives, if any, would you recommend to maintain essential services without implementing a state income tax or increasing sales taxes?

Property tax relief is needed, particularly in communities like Teton County where rising property values have placed significant pressure on homeowners. However, I also believe local governments are generally in the best position to determine the level of services their communities need, and those services require a stable source of funding. A 50% reduction in residential property tax revenue could significantly affect counties, municipalities, special districts, and other local services unless alternative funding is identified. Analyses of the initiative have projected substantial reductions in revenue for local governments and other public entities that rely on property taxes. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all solution, I would encourage policymakers to work with economists, local governments, taxpayers, and finance experts to develop targeted, sustainable property tax relief that protects homeowners while preserving essential local services. I do not support replacing local revenue with a state income tax or increasing sales taxes, and I believe we can find better long-term solutions that reduce the tax burden without undermining local communities.

What approach would you take to ensure Wyoming's pubic lands are managed responsibly for current and future generations, while balancing conservation, recreation, agriculture, energy development, and other public uses?

Wyoming's public lands are one of our state's greatest assets. They support our economy, our schools, our agricultural heritage, outdoor recreation, wildlife, and the quality of life that makes Wyoming unique. As a member of the State Board of Land Commissioners, I would approach each decision on its own merits by following the law, listening to local communities and stakeholders, and relying on sound science and good data rather than politics. I believe responsible stewardship means balancing conservation, recreation, agriculture, mineral development, and other lawful uses while protecting the long-term value of these lands for future generations. Not every issue will have the same answer, but every decision should be transparent, carefully considered, and focused on achieving the greatest long-term benefit for the people of Wyoming.

What role do you believe family farms and ranches should play in Wyoming's public policy priorities, and what actions, if any, would you support to strengthen food production in our state?

Growing up on a ranch in Carbon County gave me a firsthand appreciation for the hard work, uncertainty, and resilience required to make a living in agriculture. Family farms and ranches are not only an important part of Wyoming's economy—they are central to our heritage, our rural communities, and our food security. I believe state government should support agriculture by protecting private property rights, maintaining responsible access to grazing and water resources, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, and encouraging policies that allow producers to remain competitive. As Secretary of State, I would also work to ensure government services are efficient and responsive so farmers and ranchers can spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time producing the food and resources Wyoming depends on. Strong family farms and ranches strengthen Wyoming, and I believe they should remain a priority for our state's future.

What priorities will you place on protecting and securing Wyoming’s water?

Water is one of Wyoming's most valuable natural resources, and protecting it must remain a priority for future generations. As a member of the State Board of Land Commissioners, I will support responsible stewardship that protects Wyoming's water resources while respecting private property rights and the needs of agriculture, municipalities, recreation, wildlife, and responsible economic development. I believe Wyoming must continue to vigorously defend our water rights, make decisions based on sound science and the law, and carefully consider the long-term impacts of land management decisions on water quality and availability. Protecting Wyoming's water is essential to our economy, our communities, and our way of life.

How would you manage the tension between energy sector demands (coal, wind, nuclear, water, etc.)?

Wyoming has long been an energy leader, and I believe our future will include a diverse mix of energy resources, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, and emerging technologies. While I do not believe government should ban any lawful form of energy production, I remain skeptical that large-scale wind development is the best long-term solution for Wyoming. Projects should be evaluated based on their reliability, economic value, impacts on wildlife and landscapes, transmission requirements, and long-term effects on local communities. As a member of the State Board of Land Commissioners, I would ensure every proposal is evaluated fairly, consistently, and according to the law. My responsibility is to balance economic opportunity with responsible stewardship of our natural resources, private property rights, and Wyoming's long-term interests. Wyoming's strength has always been its ability to responsibly develop its natural resources while protecting the landscapes and communities that make our state unique. I believe we can continue to do both.

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What aspects of your background do you believe make you well-qualified to serve in this position and how have those experiences shaped your approach to public service?

My experiences as a County Commissioner, election judge, a business owner, domestic and international business leader, and Wyoming raised Republican, make me well qualified for this position. These experiences have shaped my leadership skills in how to build collaborations among different groups with different objectives and goals. Additionally, having served as an election judge, I have seen thoroughly how elections are run in our state and the processes used to ensure accurate and transparent elections. My experiences have taught me how to put the public's interest in the forefront of my thought processes and decision making, while ensuring that transparency is maintained and accountability is never compromised.

What would be your #1 goal you'd like to accomplish, if elected?

Working to help educate voters about scams and disinformation that have ravaged our senior population and caused concern about elections, so that we may be better equipped to protect ourselves from these bad actors and their divisive campaigns and disinformation. In essence, I will work to become a trusted source of information for the people in Wyoming.

What steps would you take to ensure state expenditures comply with legal requirements while delivering measurable benefits to Wyoming residents?

The steps I will take include ensuring that expenditures in the Secretary of State office are transparent, and are clearly within the statutory language, while also applying the same criteria I have used for the past 11+ years as a County Commissioner. My number one objective when utilizing tax dollars is to provide the greatest benefit for the people of Wyoming with the least amount of expenditure possible to accomplish the goal.

How do you believe the Towns, Counties, and State would be affected if residential property tax revenues were reduced by 50%, and what alternatives, if any, would you recommend to maintain essential services without implementing a state income tax or increasing sales taxes?

This issue is complex and has different impacts that vary by location. In some cases, where residential property tax accounts for a small portion of revenues to an entity, the impacts are small. In other locations, where residential property taxes provide a large share of the operational revenues, the impacts will be huge. Many locations will be forced to cut services, and due to the fact that Wyoming defines "essential services" as libraries, every other service is subject to reduction or even elimination. The alternatives are quite limited. We could institute a 'tourism' tax, one that charges non-residents for entering the state or perhaps departing it, though that would likely not take long to discourage tourists from coming to our state and I would not recommend it. We could charge a tax on students attending UW, again not recommended as the result would be similar to the above scenario. We could reduce salaries for all the people who work to provide the services, but the outcome of that would be a compounded negative of people leaving their jobs, probably leaving the state, zero stars - I do not recommend. Reducing property tax by 50% will result in profoundly negative consequences for the localities that rely on that revenue source to provide services. The people who are served in those communities should be the ones to decide which services they want eliminated or what mechanism they want to impose on themselves to fund the services they want to maintain. While not a Secretary of State official duty, I will do my best to help educate people in Wyoming about the it.

What approach would you take to ensure Wyoming's pubic lands are managed responsibly for current and future generations, while balancing conservation, recreation, agriculture, energy development, and other public uses?

This question is two fold. Public lands are not the same as State lands. State lands are constitutionally defined as those lands granted by the Federal Government to the State upon statehood and are required to be managed for the benefit of schools. Public lands are those lands that are managed by other entities such as BLM, USFS and BOR. These lands are for the benefit of the public. The management of State lands is necessary for a perpetual income stream that must be directed to education. The lands need to be managed in accordance with this constitutionally defined objective. However, each area of these lands is unique. And, how revenue is generated from each area is also unique. Listening to the local voices concerning the usage of these lands is important to strike balance between the constitutionally directed objectives and the desire of those who live near them, one size does not fit all, though the main objective of revenue with sustainability must be priority. Public lands must be protected for the benefit of the public. To do this, I will continue, as I have as a County Commissioner, to advocate for the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative approach. This collaborative effort works to give voice to the people who love this place and want to help guide the management of these precious resources with the understanding that multiple use is an important aspect of managing lands for maximum benefit of the people. While not a Secretary of State official duty, I will do my best to help educate people in Wyoming about this topic.

What role do you believe family farms and ranches should play in Wyoming's public policy priorities, and what actions, if any, would you support to strengthen food production in our state?

Food is a requirement for life. We must recognize that producers in our state provide a life giving product and our ability to survive is dependent upon its availability. Farms and ranches must be recognized for the role they play in sustaining life for all of us, but they cannot be the sole priority. The need for balance in policy must be part of the discussion. When we tilt the scales for one group or another, we are out of balance and people will become unhappy due to perceived inequities. Recognizing the role that agricultural producers play and balancing that with the needs of the vast number of people who are not ag producers, is critical to maintain public confidence. To strengthen food production in our state, I will work to encourage utilizing existing products, through conversations, in ways that have not yet been adopted to increase food production in our state while minimizing the costs to do so. This may sound unattainable, but the resources that we currently discard as 'waste' have incredible potential to be used specifically for this purpose. We have to be willing to think 'outside the box' if we are to make changes that can have profoundly positive impacts. While not a Secretary of State official duty, I will do my best to help educate people in Wyoming about the opportunities and challenges of growing food in Wyoming.

What priorities will you place on protecting and securing Wyoming’s water?

The saying goes, "whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over". Obviously, water is a critical component for life. If you are deprived of water for a long period, you will no longer be alive. With that in mind, we need to honestly evaluate the way we utilize water in our headwaters state. Where are we using it and what are the benefits of that usage? When we have tallied the pluses and minuses of these different utilizations, we can have an honest discussion about how we wish to prioritize. Our number one priority must be life, health and safety of Wyoming people. While not a Secretary of State official duty, I will do my best to help educate people in Wyoming about the importance of our water and the different ways we use it.

How would you manage the tension between energy sector demands (coal, wind, nuclear, water, etc.)?

Management of these tensions can only be achieved through honest and open dialogue. We must be willing to be have conversations that are meaningful and not driven by emotion. When we let our emotions hijack our actions, the outcomes are rarely beneficial and can be downright negative. Reminding folks that we all have the same needs is one way to start a discussion with a baseline of understanding that can help us remember that our neighbors are not our enemies and that when we work together, we can achieve outcomes that are durable and provide greater benefit to more of us. While not a Secretary of State official duty, I will do my best to help educate people in Wyoming about the importance of energy and the different ways we produce it.

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williams4wyoming.com/

What aspects of your background do you believe make you well-qualified to serve in this position and how have those experiences shaped your approach to public service?

My approach to public service is built on an unwavering commitment to constitutional limits, accountability, and the rule of law. With seven years of street-level experience in law enforcement, a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration, and service in the Wyoming House—where I chair the House Labor and Health Committee and lead the Wyoming Freedom Caucus—I bring both enforcement discipline and legislative battle-testing to the executive branch. These experiences taught me that government agencies must serve the people, not expand their own administrative power. As Secretary of State, my public service will always be guided by constitutional originalism, absolute transparency, and a refusal to compromise on fundamental liberties.

What would be your #1 goal you'd like to accomplish, if elected?

My primary goal is to establish an unyielding executive firewall that secures our elections, protects our state lands, and defends Wyoming’s economic sovereignty. Specifically, I will work to permanently eliminate vulnerabilities in our voting system by banning paid ballot harvesting and unsecure drop boxes, while aggressively using my seat on the State Board of Land Commissioners to block hostile foreign entities—like the Chinese Communist Party—from acquiring Wyoming land or energy assets.

What steps would you take to ensure state expenditures comply with legal requirements while delivering measurable benefits to Wyoming residents?

On state boards like the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) and the State Building Commission, I will treat every taxpayer dollar as sacred trust property. To ensure expenditures strictly comply with the law and deliver measurable value, I will: Enforce Strict Audit Metrics: Require concrete, verifiable ROI and performance milestones before approving state grants or loan distributions. Reject Federal Strings: Veto state spending tied to federal green energy mandates, woke compliance initiatives, or ideological strings that inflate costs. Prioritize Essential Infrastructure: Focus state investment strictly on core physical assets—water, sewer, roads, and energy grid security—rather than subsidizing government growth or picking private winners and losers.

How do you believe the Towns, Counties, and State would be affected if residential property tax revenues were reduced by 50%, and what alternatives, if any, would you recommend to maintain essential services without implementing a state income tax or increasing sales taxes?

A 50% reduction in residential property taxes would significantly impact local budgets, as county governments, school districts, and special districts rely heavily on these revenues to fund local emergency services, roads, and schools. However, Wyoming homeowners desperately need relief from skyrocketing assessments that threaten to price seniors and families out of their homes. To maintain essential services without introducing a state income tax or raising sales taxes, I advocate for: Slashing State-Level Bureaucracy: Cutting non-essential state spending and redirecting existing baseline mineral and investment revenues back to local entities to offset property tax relief. Targeted Residential Caps: Tailoring relief specifically to primary residential properties and agricultural lands, rather than out-of-state corporate holdings or commercial developments. Local Spending Discipline: Requiring local government entities to prioritize core public safety and infrastructure while eliminating bloated administrative overhead before claiming budget shortfalls.

What approach would you take to ensure Wyoming's pubic lands are managed responsibly for current and future generations, while balancing conservation, recreation, agriculture, energy development, and other public uses?

As one of five statewide elected officials on the State Board of Land Commissioners (SBLC), my mandate is to manage over 3 million acres of state trust lands to maximize long-term value for our public schools while preserving access for future generations. My approach balances competing uses through a strict "Wyoming First" lens: Agriculture & Resource Production: Protect traditional grazing, mineral extraction, and timber harvesting, which form the economic backbone of our rural communities and generate essential trust revenue. Energy Development: Expand traditional oil, gas, and coal leasing alongside emerging baseline energy, resisting federal attempts to lock up state resources. Foreign Land Bans: Uncompromisingly block foreign adversaries, particularly CCP-linked entities, from purchasing or leasing state trust lands. Public Access: Maintain open access for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation on state lands without sacrificing the surface rights of our agricultural lessees.

What role do you believe family farms and ranches should play in Wyoming's public policy priorities, and what actions, if any, would you support to strengthen food production in our state?

Family farms and ranches are not just economic drivers; they are the bedrock of Wyoming's culture, heritage, and security. Public policy must treat our agricultural producers as vital partners rather than subjects of regulatory burdens. To strengthen local food production and protect family operations, I support: Protecting Private Property & Water Rights: Defending senior water rights and surface owner rights against federal encroachment, invasive regulations, and predatory land grabs. Promoting Local Food Sovereignty: Expanding state-level processing capacity and supporting direct-to-consumer sales for Wyoming beef and agricultural products, cutting out federal middleman bottlenecks. Farm Loan Access: Utilizing SLIB’s farm loan programs to help young and starting Wyoming producers acquire land and equipment without being squeezed out by corporate conglomerates or out-of-state investors.

What priorities will you place on protecting and securing Wyoming’s water?

Water is Wyoming’s most precious resource, and securing our water supply against downstream states and federal overreach is paramount. My priorities for protecting Wyoming water include: Defending Compact Rights: Vigorously defending Wyoming's interstate water compacts against aggressive legal challenges from downstream states seeking to siphon our headwaters. Expanding Water Storage: Investing in storage infrastructure—such as dams, reservoirs, and stock ponds—to keep Wyoming water in Wyoming for our agriculture, energy, and municipal needs. Rejecting Federal Regulation: Resisting federal attempts to reclassify local ditches, stock ponds, and private streams under expanded federal EPA jurisdiction (such as "Waters of the United States" mandates).

How would you manage the tension between energy sector demands (coal, wind, nuclear, water, etc.)?

Wyoming is an energy powerhouse, and our economic survival depends on maintaining energy dominance. Managing competing demands across coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear, wind, and water requires a realistic, market-driven approach rather than government-mandated transitions: Protect Traditional Baseline Energy: Coal, oil, and natural gas provide reliable, affordable baseload power and critical revenue for our state. I will continue to fight federal regulations designed to prematurely shut down traditional power plants. Level Playing Field: End state-level subsidies and preferential treatment for intermittent energy sources like wind and solar, ensuring they compete fairly on the open market without burdening local land use or traditional producers. Advance Next-Generation Baseload: Support innovative energy development, including advanced nuclear, that complements our existing grid infrastructure and provides high-paying jobs for Wyoming workers without sacrificing our land or water security.