Filing wraps up for special district seats

Final filings are in for special district seats to be elected at the November General Election, the Big Horn County Clerk’s Office announced.

Filing began on August 5 and ran through August 24.

Here are the final filings for special districts.

Four incumbents and two challengers have filed for seats on the Big Horn County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees: at large incumbent candidates Hiedi Christensen of Cowley and Holly Michaels of Burlington, who was recently appointed to the seat after the death of chairman Josh Bassett, Thomas Bridges for the designated Cowley seat and Craig Jones for the designated Burlington seat. Hunter Allen is challenging Christensen and Michaels for one of the at large seats, and Emily Leonhardt is challenging Bridges for the Cowley seat on the board.

Incumbents Marianne Grant and Danny Jolley have filed for two of the three regular four-year seats on the Lovell School Board, joined by Kyle Leithead, who was appointed to the seat left vacant by the resignation of Tess Peterson (elected in 2024) when she had taken a job in the school district. The Peterson seat originally carried through 2028, but that seat – currently left open with Leithead filing for a four-year seat – now carries a two-year term in this election since there was a resignation and an appointment.

Ben Walker has also filed for a four-year seat on the board, and Ryan Felkins has filed for the two-year seat.

Incumbent Bruce Jolley did not file for re-election.

Three incumbents have filed for the North Big Horn Hospital District Board: Bruce Morrison of Lovell for an at-large seat, Brett Crosby for the designated Byron-Cowley seat and Garret Frescoln of Frannie for the designated Deaver-Frannie seat on the board.

Incumbent Todd Simmons (at large) did not file for re-election, and only Morrison applied for one of two at large seats on the board.

Other filings in the north end of Big Horn County are:

Byron Cemetery District: Edward Gifford, Steven Wagner and Denney NeVille.

Cowley Cemetery District: Don Minchow, Gary Leonhardt and Ken Blackburn (four-year term) and Coleen Scheeler (two-year term).

Deaver-Frannie Cemetery District: Patricia Cline, Melvyn Wambeke and Brenda Kawano.

Lovell Cemetery District: Todd Herman, Michael K. Jameson and Ralph Winland.

Shoshone Conservation District: Keith Grant (rural seat), David Hessenthaler (urban seat) and Robert Guccion (at large).

Fire Protection District No. 1: Michael Leonhardt.

Fire Protection District No. 5: Stephanie Wambeke and Kendal Wambeke for one seat on the board.

North Big Horn Senior Citizen District: Four-year term -- Patricia Parmer and Pauline Tippetts; Two-year term – Linda Jo Miller.

The special district seats are non-partisan and will be elected at the Wyoming General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.