# Bob Tanner (politician)

Robert Earl Tanner (September 5, 1930 – October 30, 2024) was an American politician from the state of Wyoming. He served as a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1997 to 2001.

## Life and career

Tanner was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota, on September 5, 1930, and moved to Wyoming at the age of six. He graduated from high school in Newcastle in 1948 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1951. He served three years in the Korean War and served twelve years in the Wyoming National Guard. He married Jane Hunter on July 2, 1956, and they had four children. Tanner was a teacher until 1969, having received bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the Black Hills Teachers College and the University of Wyoming, respectively. He then was a real estate agent for the remainder of his career.
He was elected as a Republican to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1996 to represent the Casper-based 57th district and was re-elected in 1998. He lost election to the 36th district to Liz Gentile in 2002, first by a single vote, then by three votes in the recount, then by a wider margin in the special election held later that month after a new election was ordered. Tanner died in Casper on October 30, 2024, at the age of 94.

## Electoral history
### 1996
#### Primary election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 57, 1996 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner | 799 | 58.4 |
| | Republican | Michael Burke | 569 | 41.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,368 | 100 |

#### General election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 57, 1996 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner | 1,792 | 53.0 |
| | Democratic | Sharon Long | 1,546 | 47.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,288 | 100 |

### 1998
#### Primary election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 57, 1998 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner* | 841 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 841 | 100 |

#### General election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 57, 1996 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner* | 1,460 | 59.4 |
| | Democratic | Steve Wilson | 998 | 40.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,458 | 100 |

### 2002
#### Primary election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 36, 2002 primary election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner | 699 | 58.5 |
| | Republican | Gerald Gay* | 495 | 41.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,194 | 100 |

#### General election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 36, 2002 general election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Liz Gentile | 1,466 | 50.1 |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner | 1,463 | 49.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,929 | 100 |

#### Special election

Wyoming House of Representatives, District 36, 2002 special election * denotes incumbent     Source: :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Liz Gentile | 1,168 | 58.0 |
| | Republican | Bob Tanner | 845 | 42.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,013 | 100 |