The message
Did Serving Our Country Count Against Him?
Kevin Christensen recently received notice that the Wyoming Republican Party’s 13-member Candidate Vetting Committee intended to recommend that he not receive the party’s endorsement at this time.
Kevin answered with respect and precision. He told the committee he is in 100% alignment with the Wyoming Republican Party Platform — then explained why some of its additional criteria deserve public scrutiny.
What the committee said it would weigh
Past donations to state or county parties, attendance and involvement in party organizations, past party registration, and legislative scorecards.
Kevin has no legislative voting record. His record is more than 27 years of military service — combat leadership in Iraq, command at the company, battalion, and brigade levels, and service on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
During that service, Kevin’s duty required discipline, professional independence, and at times a nonpartisan posture. He asked the committee to distinguish actual party switching from periods of nonaffiliation connected to national security responsibilities.
That is a fair request.
The party’s executive director replied that Kevin’s response had been given to the committee for review. The available correspondence contains no final decision and no explanation of how the committee weighed his service.
I find the process deeply disturbing.
When donations, organizational attendance, and insider involvement become measures of loyalty, public service can become a disadvantage. A system like that risks rewarding proximity to party power while discounting years spent defending our country.
Kevin and I are seeking different federal offices. This question reaches beyond either campaign:
Does this process strengthen the ability of Wyoming citizens to govern ourselves,
or does it place more influence into fewer hands?
Wyoming law currently says political party funds cannot be spent directly or indirectly to help one primary candidate defeat another candidate from the same party. Party leadership has challenged that restriction in federal court. The court will decide the constitutional question. Wyoming voters should still decide our nominees.
Service should count as service.
Let Wyoming voters speak first.