Matt Mead

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Mead visiting Guantanamo Bay detention camp in 2011 Matt Mead visit Guantanamo -b.jpg
Mead visiting Guantanamo Bay detention camp in 2011

In 2010, Mead won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 30,272 votes, defeating State Auditor Rita Meyer, who polled 29,558 votes, despite Meyer's endorsement by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. [5] Fort Bridger rancher Ron Micheli finished third (27,592 votes) and State House Speaker Colin M. Simpson was fourth (16,673 votes). [6]

With Freudenthal not running for a third term, because of term limits, [7] Mead was a heavy favorite in the general election; Wyoming is heavily Republican.

Mead's campaign emphasized his support for gun rights. He opposed gay marriage and abortion, but stated that there should be exceptions to allow an abortion when the woman's health or life is at stake and in cases of rape and incest. On November 2, 2010, Mead easily defeated Leslie Petersen, the former chairwoman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, receiving 72% of the vote to Petersen's 25%. [8]

2014 election

In late January 2013, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill, a Republican, announced that she would be a candidate in Wyoming's 2014 governor's race. A Tea Party favorite, Hill would face Mead in the Republican primary on August 19, 2014. [9] Earlier in January, Mead had signed legislation sharply reducing the responsibilities of Hill's office, making the position largely ceremonial. [10]

Mead handily won re-nomination in the 2014 Republican primary, with 53,626 votes (55 percent), compared to Dr. Taylor Haynes' 31,490 (32 percent), and Hill's 12,443 (13 percent). [11] In the November 4 general election, Mead handily defeated Pete Gosar, the former Democratic Party state chairman and the brother of a Republican U.S. representative from Arizona, Paul Gosar. In the same election, Republican Jillian Balow, backed by Mead, won election to succeed Hill as the education superintendent. [12]

Administration

On October 26, 2012, Mead named Buffalo, Wyoming, businessman and rancher Mark Gordon as the state treasurer, to succeed Joseph B. Meyer, who died in office. [13]

On February 17, 2015, Mead vetoed legislation intended to prevent the state from permanently confiscating an individual's property through civil forfeiture until after a felony conviction had been attained. The legislation, Senate File 14, gained strong popular support and passed through the Wyoming Legislature, with majorities in excess of 2/3 in both houses. [14] An attempt to override the veto failed. [15]

Personal life

Mead has an older brother, Bradford Scott "Brad" Mead, a Jackson attorney, and an older sister, Muffy Mead-Ferro of Salt Lake City, the author of Confessions of a Slacker Mom . [16]

Mead's mother, Mary, was the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 1990. Considered an expert horsewoman, she died in 1996, on her 61st birthday, in a horseback accident while working cattle in Grand Teton National Park. In 2003, Mead and his brother and sister put their family ranch in the park up for sale; the price was said to be $110 million. [17]

Mead's paternal aunt, Andrea Mead Lawrence, was an alpine ski racer who competed in three Winter Olympic Games and won two gold medals for the United States. [18]

Mead and his wife Carol have two children. [19]

Electoral history

Matt Mead
Matt Mead.jpg
32nd Governor of Wyoming
In office
January 3, 2011 –January 7, 2019
Wyoming Gubernatorial Republican primary results. 2010
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Mead30,30828.7
Republican Rita Meyer 29,60528.0
Republican Ron Micheli27,63026.1
Republican Colin Simpson16,72215.8
Republican Alan Kousoulos5660.5
Republican Tom Ubben4320.4
Republican John Self2950.3
Republican Write-ins2020.2
Total votes105,760 100
Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2010
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Matt Mead 123,780 65.68% +35.67%
Democratic Leslie Petersen 43,24022.94%−47.05%
Independent Taylor Haynes13,7967.32%
Libertarian Mike Wheeler5,3622.85%
Write-ins2,2851.21%
Majority80,54042.74%+2.75%
Turnout 190,822
Republican gain from Democratic Swing
Wyoming Gubernatorial Republican primary results. 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Mead (incumbent) 53,673 54.04
Republican Taylor Haynes31,53231.75
Republican Cindy Hill12,46412.55
Republican Write-in2150.22
Republican Over Votes 260.03
Republican Under Votes 1,4021.41
Total votes99,312 100
Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Matt Mead (incumbent) 99,700 58.25 −7.43%
Democratic Pete Gosar45,75226.733.79%
Independent Don Wills9,8955.78
Libertarian Dee Cozzens4,0402.36−0.49%
Write-inOther8,4904.96
Over Votes Other620.04
Under Votes Other3,2141.88
Majority53,94831.52−11.52%
Total votes171,153 100
Republican hold Swing

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References

  1. ↑ "Mead Seeking Seat". Jackson Hole News & Guide. June 12, 2007.
  2. ↑ Angus M. Thuermer Jr. (June 8, 2007). "Mead quits federal post". Jackson Hole News & Guide.
  3. ↑ As permitted by the Seventeenth Amendment, Wyoming allows the Governor to select the replacement for a vacant Senate seat to hold the seat for the remainder of the unexpired term. However, also as permitted by the Seventeenth Amendment, Wyoming law requires that the replacement must be of the same political party as the predecessor.
  4. ↑ "Wyoming Names Senate Replacement". CBS News. February 11, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  5. ↑ Linda Feldmann (July 30, 2010). "Sarah Palin anoints a new 'mama grizzly': Does it make a difference?". CSMonitor.com.
  6. ↑ "It's Mead by a Hair". Wyoming Tribune Eagle . August 18, 2010.
  7. ↑ Tom Morton (January 23, 2010). "Former U.S. Attorney Mead running for Wyoming governor". Casper Star-Tribune.
  8. ↑ "Wyoming: Matt Mead elected governor; Democrats win no statewide offices". USA Today . Associated Press. November 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ John Celock (February 1, 2013). "Cindy Hill, Demoted Wyoming Schools Boss, Running For Governor". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ John Celock (February 28, 2013). "Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead Not Focused On Cindy Hill's Primary Challenge". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Mead wins GOP primary for Wyoming governor". Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Aaron Schrank (November 5, 2014). "Republican Jillian Balow Elected Wyoming Schools Chief". Wyoming National Public Radio. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  13. ↑ Trevor Brown. "Mead selects treasurer". Wyoming Tribune Eagle, October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Governor Mead Vetoes Due Process and Property Rights". Wyliberty.org. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  15. ↑ Hancock, Laura (February 27, 2015). "Veto Override on Asset Forfeiture Bill fails in Wyoming Senate". Casper Star-Tribune . Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  16. ↑ Mead-Ferro, Muffy (2004). Confessions of a Slacker Mom . Da Capo Lifelong. pp.  152. ISBN   978-0-7382-0994-4.
  17. ↑ Angus M. Thuermer Jr. "Mead Ranch on the Block". Jackson Hole News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  18. ↑ "RootsWeb.com Home Page". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  19. ↑ Bill McCarthy (January 23, 2010). "Mead officially running for governor". Wyoming Tribune Eagle .
Party political offices
Preceded by
Ray Hunkins
 Republican nominee for Governor of Wyoming
2010, 2014 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Wyoming
2011–2019		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States
Within Wyoming		Succeeded byas Former Governor
Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Wyoming		Succeeded byas Former Governor
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