If you want to know how important precinct committee women and men are to the local political process, just ask the chairman of a county party.
Local leaders count on precinct committee people to be their eyes and ears, and tell them what people want the party to do.
“They’re the grassroots of the party, our foundation,” Mary Martin, former Teton County Republican chair, told BWAR. “They talk to their neighbors and find out what issues are the most important to them. Then they take that back to county party officials, and we work out a plan to address them.”
That includes developing planks for the county party conventions, which delegates vote on and then take to the state convention. It’s a source of pride to get issues that come from people they’ve talked to and see them adopted statewide.
“They’re our best canvassers,” agreed Ted Hanlon, chair of the Laramie County Democratic Party. “That’s what they’re doing year-round, so they know how to introduce candidates to voters, both door-to-door and at party events.”
People who serve as precinct committee men and women in Wyoming are doing grassroots organizing, starting on the ground floor of the political party system and, if they want to, working their way up.
“Many of our candidates for legislature start as precinct captains,” Martin said.
Connecting real people to the parties’ agendas
Becoming a precinct committeeman or woman is a great first step to getting more involved in Wyoming politics and your own community.
“The precinct is where regular people come together and have the opportunity to be directly involved in politics and have their voice heard,” said Vicki Swenson, who has served three two-year terms as a Campbell County GOP precinct committeewoman.
She said in today’s world “there aren’t too many spaces left where people with different viewpoints can sit down, listen, and talk through issues face-to-face.” These talks are essential to grassroots organizing, she added.
Angela Silvester, a Democrat precinct committeewoman in Laramie County, said after she’s visited people in the precinct’s neighborhoods, she represents them at county central committee meetings. She considers this one of her most important jobs.
A direct role in filling lawmaker vacancies
There are also times when precinct committee people play direct roles in deciding who will serve in the Legislature or other offices.
This comes when an elected official steps down, and the county party needs to fill a vacancy.
The county central committee, which is composed of precinct committee representatives and county party executive officials, are the ones who hear speeches from prospective candidates and review their resumes.
Then, they forward three nominees to the county commissioners, who make the final selection.
The time is now to file to run for a precinct position
Anyone can become a precinct committee person by running for a seat in the primary election.
In Wyoming, the period to file to run is May 14 - 29. You have to be a Wyoming voter and a registered member of the party you’re running in.
Martin, the former Teton County GOP chair, said oftentimes there are vacant seats, and many uncontested races for these lower positions.
Hanlon, the Democrat chair in Laramie County, agreed that recruiting people can be difficult.
For more information about becoming a precinct committeeman or woman, check out BWAR’s FAQ: What is a precinct committee person (and why should I become one)?