1986 Wyoming state elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 4, 1986. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. Democrats performed well in the year's elections; Democratic nominee Mike Sullivan won the gubernatorial election by a decisive margin, Superintendent Lynn Simons won a sizable majority in her bid for a third term, and Kathy Karpan won the open Secretary of State's race. Republicans prevailed in elections for State Auditor and Treasurer.

Governor

Main article: 1986 Wyoming gubernatorial election

Incumbent Democratic Governor Edgar Herschler declined to run for re-election to a fourth term, and attorney Mike Sullivan won the Democratic primary to succeed him. He faced former State Representative Pete Simpson in the general election, whom he defeated by a decisive margin.

1986 Wyoming gubernatorial election<^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mike Sullivan	88,879	53.96%	−9.18%
	Republican	Pete Simpson	75,841	46.04%	+9.18%
Majority			13,038	7.92%	−18.37%
Turnout			164,720
	Democratic hold

Secretary of State

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Thyra Thomson declined to run for re-election to a seventh term. Her son, K. C. Thomson, a Sheridan banker, ran in the Republican primary to succeed her, as did State Senate President Jerry Geis. The contest between the two was extremely close, with unofficial results showing Thomson with a 61-vote lead over Geis.^[2] The recount confirmed Thomson's narrow victory over Geis, and he advanced to the general election,^[3] where he faced Kathy Karpan, the former Director of the Wyoming Department of Health and Social Services in Governor Edgar Herschler's cabinet. Karpan ended up narrowly defeating Thomson, the first Democratic victory in a Secretary of State's race since 1958.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Kathy Karpan, former Director of the Wyoming Department of Health and Social Services^[4]

Results

Democratic Party primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kathy Karpan	38,201	100.0%
Total votes			38,201	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• K. C. Thomson, Sheridan banker, son of incumbent State Treasurer Thyra Thomson^[5]
• Jerry Geis, President of the Wyoming Senate^[4]

Results

Republican Primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	K. C. Thomson	44,868	50.03%
	Republican	Jerry Geis	44,807	100.00%
Total votes			89,675	100.00%

General election

Results

1986 Wyoming Secretary of State election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Kathy Karpan	86,449	53.59%	+7.29%
	Republican	K. C. Thomson	74,880	46.41%	−7.29%
Majority			11,569	7.17%	−0.24%
Turnout			161,329	100.00%
	Democratic gain from Republican

Auditor

Incumbent Republican State Auditor Jim Griffith declined to seek re-election to a fourth term. State House Speaker Jack Sidi won the Republican nomination unopposed, and faced Bil Tucker, a technical manager and a former trustee on the Albany County School Board, in the general election. Sidi ultimately defeated Tucker by a decisive margin, though considerably reduced from Griffith's 1982 landslide.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bil Tucker, former Trustee on the Albany County School Board^[6]

Results

Democratic primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bil Tucker	36,254	100.00%
Total votes			36,254	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Jack Sidi, Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives^[7]

Results

Republican primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jack Sidi	78,168	100.00%
Total votes			78,168	100.00%

General election

Results

1986 Wyoming Auditor election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Jack Sidi	86,384	55.30%	−18.31%
	Democratic	Bil Tucker	69,819	44.70%	+18.31%
Majority			16,565	10.60%	−36.62%
Turnout			156,203
	Republican hold

Treasurer

In 1982, Wyoming voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed state treasurers to seek re-election,^[8] making incumbent Republican State Treasurer Stan Smith the first treasurer in state history to be eligible for re-election to a second term. Though Smith initially announced that he would run for governor, he ended his campaign and sought re-election as Treasurer.^[9] He faced a challenge in the Republican primary from Lee Galeotos, a former official in Governor Stanley Hathaway's administration, who announced that he would run for State Treasurer while Smith was running for governor. When Smith ran for re-election instead, Galeotos remained in the race.^[10] Smith defeated Galeotos by a wide margin, and faced former State Representative Carrol P. Orrison, the Democratic nominee, in the general election.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Carrol P. Orrison, former State Representative from Laramie County^[11]

Results

Democratic Party primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carrol P. Orrison	36,080	100.00%
Total votes			36,080	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Stan Smith, incumbent State Treasurer
• Sam Galeotos, former State Director of Administrative and Fiscal Control^[12]

Results

Republican Primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Stan Smith (inc.)	60,411	68.15%
	Republican	Sam Galeotos	28,233	31.85%
Total votes			88,644	100.00%

General election

Results

1986 Wyoming Treasurer election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Stan Smith (inc.)	98,502	61.81%	+3.25%
	Democratic	Carrol P. Orrison	60,870	38.19%	−3.25%
Majority			37,632	23.61%	+6.49%
Turnout			159,372	100.00%
	Republican hold

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Incumbent Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Lynn Simons ran for re-election to a third term. She faced Millard I. Meredith, the Superintendent of the Converse County School District No. 1 and the Republican nominee, in the general election. Simons defeated Meredith by a sizable margin, largely replicating her victory from 1986.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Lynn Simons, incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction

Results

Democratic Party primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lynn Simons (inc.)	39,172	100.00%
Total votes			39,172	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Millard I. Meredith, Superintendent of the Converse County School District No. 1, 1978 Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction^[13]

Results

Republican Party primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Millard I. Meredith	77,107	100.00%
Total votes			77,107	100.00%

General election

Results

1986 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Lynn Simons (inc.)	90,978	56.88%	−0.08%
	Republican	Millard I. Meredith	68,960	43.12%	+0.08%
Majority			22,018	13.77%	−0.17%
Turnout			159,938	100.00%
	Democratic hold

References

1. Karpan, Kathy (1987). 1987 Wyoming Official Directory and 1986 Election Returns. pp. 162, 275–76.
2. Barron, Joan (August 21, 1986). "Recount of secretary of state race begins". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. pp. A1, A14. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
3. "Vote recount shows winner still Thomson". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. August 27, 1986. pp. A1, A12. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
4. Barron, Joan (March 15, 1986). "Geis enters running for secretary of state". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A5. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
5. "Karpan will run for Thomson's job: DHSS director will resign in June to seek nomination". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. May 3, 1986. p. A3. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
6. Barron, Joan (June 7, 1986). "Candidate for state auditor says his campaign will cost at least $60,000". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. D4. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
7. Barron, Joan (March 14, 1986). "Sidi announces candidacy for state auditor's position". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A3. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
8. White, Philip (November 11, 1982). "Voters not voting kills amendment". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
9. Barron, Joan (April 12, 1986). "Smith drops out of race for governor: He says he'll run for treasurer again". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
10. Melnykovych, Andrew (April 16, 1986). "Galeotos staying in treasurer's race". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A3. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
11. Barron, Joan (June 18, 1986). "Casper man files for state treasurer". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
12. "Galeotos expected to run for treasurer". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. January 18, 1986. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
13. "Meredith announces candidacy for superintendent of public instruction". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. January 16, 1986. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2021.