Republican Wyoming Has A Real Race For Senate

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AllPolitics, Nov. 2) -- The lack of a prominent Republican heir apparent to retiring three-term GOP Sen. Alan K. Simpson has given Wyoming Democrats, for the first time in nearly three decades, a legitimate shot at a Senate seat in this solidly Republican state.

The state's GOP tilt would appear still to give an edge to the Republican nominee, state Sen. Mike Enzi. But he is no sure thing in the contest against his well-known Democratic opponent, Kathy Karpan.

Karpan, a lawyer from Cheyenne, is a former two-term Wyoming secretary of state. She was unsuccessful as the Democratic nominee for governor in 1994 and had to be persuaded earlier this year by state and national Democratic officials to enter the Senate race. But after her somewhat reluctant entrance, Karpan breezed to the nomination in August against minimal opposition.

Since then, she has tried to claim the political center by highlighting her opposition to Republican proposals that would shift federal responsibility for public lands to the states.

Although GOP supporters portray that policy as a states' rights issue, Karpan argues that such a shift would overwhelm state governments ill-prepared to deal with such tasks.

Republican candidate Enzi is a conservative state legislator and businessman with close ties to Wyoming's Christian Coalition. Enzi opposes abortion rights, while Karpan favors them.

Enzi, who previously served eight years as mayor of Gillette in northeastern Wyoming, is trying to paint Karpan as an out-of- touch liberal who believes in maintaining a large federal bureaucracy.

In addition, Karpan and Enzi locked horns in September over television advertising paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Produced independently of Enzi's campaign, the ads criticized Karpan for supporting a state sales tax extension. In fact, Enzi also endorsed that tax extension.

Karpan suggested Enzi knew about the content of the ads before they aired, which would have been a violation of federal campaign finance laws. But Enzi, who requested that the NRSC pull the ads from the air, insisted he did not know about the commercials in advance.

Congressional Quarterly contributed to this report.

Related Stories:

• Wyoming Voters Pick Senate Candidate -- Aug. 21, 1996
• Longshot In Campaign Trek In Wyoming -- June 18, 1996

Related Links:

• Wyoming State Profile