Alwin challenges Winter for House District 28 seat

Two local candidates are running for the State House of Representatives District 28 seat.

Incumbent John Winter (R) is being challenged by Larry Alwin (D). Alwin had enough write in votes in the primary and accepted the nomination

The information included here is what each candidate presented during the Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forum held in early October.

John R. Winter:

I’m John Winter. I’ve been in the legislature for awhile now and I’m in my third term, and I want to be here for one more term. We have quite a few things going, and I want to be there to see that through.

Right now I’m assigned to the ag committee to the TRW or the Travel Recreation Wildlife Committee, and then the Natural Resource Management Committee. I really enjoy those committees. They’re something I can understand.

But I want to ask you to be sure that you look into and become familiar with the Wyoming Republican Party platform. It’s really the basis for  common sense governing, which includes God, country and traditional family. It’s my priority to make Wyoming the best it can be. So we can be a good example to help other surrounding states. I believe we’re making big strides in accomplishing that goal.

I implore all of you to vote for the best candidates, and please encourage your friends and neighbors and family to do the same. We have a lot of work to do, and I want to stay in the middle of the action. I’m from Wyoming and I am for Wyoming. I was born and raised in Cody. My wife and I live out in Kirby here. We have ten kids and 36 grandchildren and one great grandchild. So we’re in Wyoming to stay in and encourage our families to be here and come back.

I’m pro life, pro Second Amendment, private property rights and religious freedom. I consider myself to be a commonsense constitutional conservative. Thank you. 

Larry Alwin:

Hello, I’m Larry Alwin, and I’d like to be your State Representative for House District 28. You deserve a choice in this election. I want to work hard to represent your needs in Cheyenne by voting for what’s truly in your best interests. I want to be your representative because I love my community, the people in it, and I want to see success come from every corner of it.

I was born in the middle of five children just across the Wyoming border on Highway 20, in a little town called Harris, Nebraska. After graduating from Chadron State with a teaching degree, I began teaching computer classes to adults where I have my current career as a software consultant working from home.

I believe that Wyoming can be both progressive and true to our traditional values. Remember that in 1890, Wyoming became a state only after ensuring that women had the right to vote. Wasn’t that a pretty progressive stance for its time? Now 134 years later, shouldn’t women have the right to make their own health care decisions? I believe they do. They should be able to make their own health care decisions without having to ask permission from their state.

I support freedom of choice in health care, and I advocate for expanding Medicaid to hardworking members of our community. Education is another priority for me. I fully support funding education in Hot Springs County and throughout Wyoming. Hot Springs County School District is a top performing district in Wyoming and consistently ranks in the top 10% of the state across all subjects and grade levels. I will do everything I can to make sure it stays that way. I also believe in strengthening our local economy by promoting the vitality of travel, tourism and wildlife industries that are abundant here.

In addition, I support tax policies that assure services that keep our communities vibrant while protecting homeowners rights to a fair and dignified retirement. Thank you.

Do you support the idea of a smaller government with fewer regulations and reduce federal spending, or do you believe a more active role in government is necessary in certain areas?

Larry Alwin:

Well, that’s not complicated or anything. There are times where the government needs to be very active in making regulations for certain industries that are running amuck and afoul that are hurting the people of our state and of our country. There are also times where the government needs to stay out of government, places like our bedrooms and our doctor’s offices. So there’s a very difficult balance that needs to happen there and it depends on the issue at hand. And it depends on how that government is handling, currently, the situation that is being discussed.

John R. Winter:

Smaller government is always better as far as I’m concerned. Fewer regulations and we’re getting so many regulations.…Five or two..Having many bills come forward in my hand, because I think we have enough laws in this state. And so you won’t find my name on a lot of them. I do support many that have come through, but we don’t need any more laws as far as I’m concerned. There’s a few things we need to adjust as time goes by. Different things come up we need to talk about it. We don’t need federal money for the state. We get so much of that and the other seems to like it very well. And, it’s all fine and dandy, I guess, until the government money stops and we have to take up the brunt of it to keep things going. I just have a really hard time with agreeing that we need to use this federal money in any way. As far as having an active role in the government, we need to keep the government out of things as much as we can. Thank you.