The last few green tomatoes are ripening in the window, and the firewood is neatly stacked. The propane tank has been refilled, and the geraniums have been brought in from their summer place on the porch. I thought I was ready for the winter.
But, like many of you, I felt a bit sick on the day the election results were announced. I half-expected Trump to win the Electoral College, but the popular vote too? Turns out it was a very slim margin. Nevertheless, a shift is beginning, and though I want to believe it won’t be that bad, we all know – as it has happened in other countries within our lifetimes – it can be bad.
So, what now?
Although the coming political winter is unpredictable, I find comfort in knowing we are prepared and have much to be thankful for.
Three good things from this year:
Election wins. Across Wyoming, our friends in Freemont County helped win a House seat for Ivan Posey with 56% of the vote. Trey Sherwood won, in a yet-again close race in a year when Albany County broke for Trump overall. And Laramie held onto all three of its Democratic legislators. Of the school board races we were watching, reasonable citizens defeated more than half of the Moms For Liberty candidates. These wins are entirely due to the many people who made endorsements, who wrote postcards cards and letters, and came out to knock on doors.
A growing community. The community we built in Park County over the past 7 years has expanded to Lander and Thermopolis. Wyoming Rising is no longer just a Park County community, and we look forward to helping local chapters grow there.
Recognition of our work. Wyoming Rising members navigate an uncharted path through the spreading influence of the radical right. Our determination to continue our advocacy and consensus-building is recognized and respected by elected officials in our counties. Organizations and individuals throughout Wyoming have rewarded our efforts to restore balance to civic life in Wyoming with friendships, partnerships, and financial support.
The harvest from our work tending the cultural/political landscape gives us something to be thankful for. Yet, as we approach this winter and a new government, we wonder if we’ve done enough.
Facing the winter of 2025.
In a recent Zoom meeting, our team decided that the way to approach the coming winter is to focus on our mission. It was written by more than 75 Park County citizens who gathered at the Cody Library in 2017 after the first Trump inauguration. These are the things our community held most dear:
- Quality public education
- Our natural environment
- Affordable health care
- Civil liberty
It became our mission to protect those Wyoming values through advocacy and participation in government.
We will continue this work throughout the coming year. We also intend to host community conversations to check in and see if those values are still the most dear.
We want to organize more public programs but could use your help. “We” are a team of twelve volunteers. Can you let us know how you can help? Here are some things we need:
- Volunteers to help organize programs.
- Facilitators for discussion groups.
- Helping us find places to meet.
- Updating this page on our website.
- Watching and reporting on the legislature’s proposals in the upcoming session.
- Writing letters and postcards to advocate for or against legislative proposals.
- Help us organize a celebration of Earth Day on April 22 (speakers, musicians, vendors, etc.)
We’d love to have more people involved in our work. If all you can do is help us cover our costs, we appreciate that too. Join us in whatever way you can. To all of those who have supported us through memberships, donations, and your time – thank you. We are so grateful to you.
Connect with us.
As we each take stock of our harvests and wonder if we’ve done enough, think about the good things we can do as a community working together to protect our values. Join us. Subscribe to our newsletter. Volunteer. We need each other even more than ever.
Renée Tafoya
Vice-chair, Wyoming Rising
Become a member (membership dues give us the funds to continue our advocacy)
Write to us at contact@wyomingrising.org
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