Gary Trauner
Encyclopedia
Gary S. Trauner is a Wyoming
businessman and a two-time unsuccessful Democratic nominee for (map), his state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was defeated in the 2006 and 2008 general election
s by Republicans
Barbara Cubin
and Cynthia Lummis
, respectively.
Trauner lost by 1,012 votes in 2006 to the since retiring incumbent
Barbara Cubin of Casper
. The election that year was the closest congressional race in Wyoming since 1970. However, this margin was too large to trigger an automatic recount, and Trauner opted not to request one. Trauner announced on October 13, 2007, that he would again run for the House. Cubin thereafter announced her retirement because of health problems of her physician
husband. Former State Treasurer
Cynthia Lummis
of Cheyenne
won the Republican nomination to succeed Cubin. She defeated Trauner, 53-43 percent, but lost her home county of Laramie
, which includes the capital city of Cheyenne.
from Colgate University
in Hamilton, New York
, and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University
in New York City
. After moving to Wyoming about 1990, he worked in business, co-founding OneWest.net, a regional Internet Service Provider
.
A resident of Wilson
in southern Teton County
, Trauner has served as chairman of the Teton County School District #1 Board of Trustees and the District board of the Aspens Water & Sewer District. He is a member of the Open Range Committee of the Jackson Hole Land Trust. He and his wife, Terry, have two children.
changed their rating of this race from "Republican Favored" to the more competitive "Leans Republican".
Although critical of Cubin, Trauner ran a grassroots campaign as a libertarian
Democrat, bucking some prevailing trends in the Democratic policy by speaking against trade protectionism
and single-payer universal health care, in addition to supporting Second Amendment
gun ownership rights, immigration
law enforcement, and what he refers to as "common-sense capitalism
." One of Trauner's major issues has been congressional ethics
and lobbying
reform. Trauner ended up losing 47.8% to Barbara Cubin's 48.3%.
, as Wyoming again supported Republican candidates, the two incumbent U.S. Senators and for the presidential nominee, Senator John McCain
of Arizona
. Trauner lost with 43% to Lummis' 53%.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
businessman and a two-time unsuccessful Democratic nominee for (map), his state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was defeated in the 2006 and 2008 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
s by Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Barbara Cubin
Barbara Cubin
Barbara Lynn Cubin was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having served as the sole member of that body from Wyoming. In the 109th Congress, she was a member of the House Resources Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee...
and Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Republican Party. She previously served as a state representative , state senator , and state treasurer .-Early life:Lummis was born on September 10, 1954 in Cheyenne...
, respectively.
Trauner lost by 1,012 votes in 2006 to the since retiring incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Barbara Cubin of Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
. The election that year was the closest congressional race in Wyoming since 1970. However, this margin was too large to trigger an automatic recount, and Trauner opted not to request one. Trauner announced on October 13, 2007, that he would again run for the House. Cubin thereafter announced her retirement because of health problems of her physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
husband. Former State Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Republican Party. She previously served as a state representative , state senator , and state treasurer .-Early life:Lummis was born on September 10, 1954 in Cheyenne...
of Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
won the Republican nomination to succeed Cubin. She defeated Trauner, 53-43 percent, but lost her home county of Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
, which includes the capital city of Cheyenne.
Biography
Trauner holds a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in Hamilton, New York
Hamilton (village), New York
The Village of Hamilton is a village located within the town of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA.-Geography and climate:The village, located at , lies in the Chenango Valley, just south of the headwaters of the Chenango River. The village is approximately southeast of Syracuse and ...
, and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After moving to Wyoming about 1990, he worked in business, co-founding OneWest.net, a regional Internet Service Provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
.
A resident of Wilson
Wilson, Wyoming
Wilson is a census-designated place in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,294 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson, WY–ID Micropolitan Statistical Area...
in southern Teton County
Teton County, Wyoming
Teton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of 2010, the population was 21,294. Its county seat is Jackson. Teton County contains the affluent Jackson Hole skiing area...
, Trauner has served as chairman of the Teton County School District #1 Board of Trustees and the District board of the Aspens Water & Sewer District. He is a member of the Open Range Committee of the Jackson Hole Land Trust. He and his wife, Terry, have two children.
2006 U.S. House campaign
Although Wyoming's Congressional seat is conventionally considered "safe" for Republicans, Trauner ran a strong campaign, raising nearly as much money in the first quarter of 2006 as incumbent Representative Cubin. In the second quarter he raised more money then Cubin and had more cash on hand at the time. By May 2006, a poll had put Trauner within the margin of error. In mid-August, Congressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
changed their rating of this race from "Republican Favored" to the more competitive "Leans Republican".
Although critical of Cubin, Trauner ran a grassroots campaign as a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
Democrat, bucking some prevailing trends in the Democratic policy by speaking against trade protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
and single-payer universal health care, in addition to supporting Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
gun ownership rights, immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
law enforcement, and what he refers to as "common-sense capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
." One of Trauner's major issues has been congressional ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
reform. Trauner ended up losing 47.8% to Barbara Cubin's 48.3%.
2008 U.S. House campaign
Trauner had fared well in pre-election polls against Lummis but fell far short on election night, despite receiving the endorsement of very popular Governor Dave FreudenthalDave Freudenthal
David Duane "Dave" Freudenthal , is an American politician who served as the 31st Governor of Wyoming. A Democrat, he was reelected to his second term on November 7, 2006, and announced on March 4, 2010, that he would not attempt to seek a third term as Governor.-Education and early...
, as Wyoming again supported Republican candidates, the two incumbent U.S. Senators and for the presidential nominee, Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Trauner lost with 43% to Lummis' 53%.
External links
- Gary Trauner for Congress official campaign website
- Race ranking and details from CQ PoliticsCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Gary Trauner, How 'Free' Is Free Trade in the West? New West Network, May 9, 2007.
- Well-Funded Trauner Poses Threat to Cubin Congressional QuarterlyCongressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, April 22, 2006 - 50 State Strategy: Yes, Wyoming is in Play Democrats.org, April 24, 2006