Gary Trauner

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Gary Trauner (born 1958) is a Wyoming businessman and the Democratic candidate for his state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2008 elections. In the 2006 general election, Trauner nearly unseated the departing Republican incumbent Barbara Cubin of Casper. He lost to Cubin by just over one thousand votes, and her margin was upheld through recounts. Trauner announced on October 13, 2007, that he would again challenge Cubin, but she thereafter announced her retirement. Among the leading Republican candidates for the House seat is former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming.[1]


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[edit] Biography

Trauner holds a bachelor's degree 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 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.

[edit] 2006 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. [1] [2] In the second quarter he has raised more money then Cubin and had more cash on hand at the time. [3] Additionally, a May 2006 poll put Trauner within the margin of error. [4] In mid-August, Congressional Quarterly changed their rating of this race from "Republican Favored" to the more competitive "Leans Republican," reflecting Trauner's impressive fundraising and polling numbers. [5]

Although critical of Cubin, Trauner ran a grassroots campaign as a libertarian Democrat, bucking some prevailaing 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." [6] One of Trauner's major issues has been congressional ethics and lobbying reform.

[edit] 2008 ambitions

Trauner faces Al Hamburg, a perennial candidate, in the Democratic primary race. Cubin said that her decision to retire was motivated by her husband's health problems, rather than her declining electoral performance.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Online

[edit] External links