# 1966 Wyoming state elections

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Wyoming on Tuesday, November 8, 1966. All of the state's executive officers—the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction—were up for election. After winning all of the statewide executive offices in 1962, Republicans did even better in 1966, improving their margins of victory in each race and holding all the offices.
Elections in Wyoming :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential caucuses
Democratic
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1890
1895
1895 sp
1899
1901
1905
1907
1911
1913
1916
1918
1922
1924
1928
1930
1930 sp
1934
1934 sp
1936
1940
1942
1946
1948
1952
1954
1954 sp
1958
1960
1962 sp
1964
1966
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2008 sp
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1989 sp
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
1890
1894
1898
1902
1904
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1952
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1890
1892 sp
1894
1898
1902
1904 sp
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1924 sp
1926
1930
1932 sp
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Secretary of State elections
2014
2018
2022
Senate elections
1992
23 sp
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
2002
36 sp
2004
2006
2008
22 sp
2010
2012
2014
2016
18 sp
2018
2020
2022
2024
Judicial elections
2024 :
Local government
Local elections
2024
2026
Cheyenne (list of mayors)
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Other cities
Gillette :
vte :

## Governor

Incumbent Republican Governor Clifford Hansen opted to run for the U.S. Senate rather than seek re-election. Former Goshen County Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Hathaway emerged as the Republican nominee, while attorney Ernest Wilkerson won a crowded and close Democratic primary. Hathaway largely duplicated Hansen's performance from four years prior, winning by a slightly smaller margin.
1966 Wyoming gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Stanley Hathaway | 65,624 | 54.29% | −0.18% |
| | Democratic | Ernest Wilkerson | 54,298 | 45.53% | +0.18% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,375 | 8.58% | −0.36% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 120,873 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Secretary of State

Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Thyra Thomson ran for re-election to a second term. No Democratic candidates initially filed to run against her, but a successful write-in campaign by L. W. "Jack" Jones, a member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees, allowed him to claim the Democratic nomination. However, Thomson retained a considerable amount of popularity and easily defeated Jones to win a second term.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

No Democratic candidates filed to oppose Thomson prior to the end of qualifying. However, the Wyoming Democratic Party selected L. W. "Jack" Jones, a member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees, to run a write-in campaign in the hopes of winning the nomination by that method. Jones won 3,879 votes as a write-in candidate in the primary, thereby enabling him to receive the Democratic Party's nomination, which he accepted.

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Thyra Thomson, incumbent Secretary of State

#### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Thyra Thomson (inc.) | 45,151 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 45,151 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1966 Wyoming Secretary of State election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Thyra Thomson (inc.) | 77,488 | 64.30% | +4.38% |
| | Democratic | L. W. "Jack" Jones | 43,021 | 35.70% | −4.38% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34,467 | 28.60% | +8.75% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 120,509 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Auditor

Incumbent Republican State Auditor Minnie A. Mitchell opted to run for State Treasurer instead of for a fourth term as State Auditor, thereby allowing term-limited State Treasurer Everett T. Copenhaver to run for State Auditor. Copenhaver faced minimal challengers in his bid for Auditor, winning the Republican primary unopposed and only facing rancher Bob Bentley, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. Copenhaver ultimately defeated Bentley in a landslide.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Bob Bentley, Lander rancher

#### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bob Bentley | 34,265 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,265 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Everett T. Copenhaver, Wyoming State Treasurer

#### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Everett T. Copenhaver | 43,328 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 43,328 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1966 Wyoming Auditor election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Everett T. Copenhaver | 68,714 | 58.03% | −1.04% |
| | Democratic | Bob Bentley | 49,688 | 41.97% | +1.04% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,026 | 16.07% | −2.07% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 116,409 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Treasurer

Incumbent Republican State Treasurer Everett T. Copenhaver was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, but wanted to run for another state office. The decision by Secretary of State Thyra Thomson to not run for governor prevented him from running for Secretary of State, and so State Auditor Minnie A. Mitchell opted to not seek another term as Auditor so that Copenhaver could succeed her. Mitchell, in turn, filed to run for State Treasurer. She was opposed in the Republican primary by State Representative Jack Van Mark, whom she easily defeated. And in the general election, she faced Democrat Bob Adams, a former state representative who had repeatedly run for Auditor or Treasurer for the preceding 12 years. She decisively defeated Adams and returned to the office of State Treasurer, to which she had first been appointed in 1952.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Bob Adams, former State Representative from Laramie County, 1962 Democratic nominee for Treasurer, 1958 Democratic nominee for State Auditor, 1954 Democratic nominee for State Auditor

#### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bob Adams | 34,574 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,574 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Minnie A. Mitchell, Wyoming State Auditor, former State Treasurer
* Jack Van Mark, State Representative from Goshen County

#### Results

Republican Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Minnie A. Mitchell | 30,319 | 65.05% |
| | Republican | Jack Van Mark | 16,287 | 34.95% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 46,606 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1966 Wyoming Treasurer election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Minnie A. Mitchell | 67,711 | 56.95% | −0.78% |
| | Democratic | Bob Adams | 51,177 | 43.05% | +0.78% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,534 | 13.91% | −1.56% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 118,888 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Superintendent of Public Instruction

Incumbent Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Cecil Shaw ran for re-election to a second term, despite some speculation that he might run for governor. Shaw was challenged in the Republican primary by Harry Roberts, a member of the state board of education, and teacher Nancy J. Rymill. During the campaign, Shaw was attacked for allegedly using state funds in assistance of his campaign, a scandal that was compounded by his poor relationship with the Republican political establishment in the state. Ultimately, Roberts defeated Shaw in the Republican primary by a decisive margin, advancing to the general election, where he faced Katherine H. Vehar, the Democratic nominee and a former Deputy State Superintendent under Superintendent Velma Linford. Roberts narrowly defeated Vehar, winning election as Superintendent.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates

* Katherine H. Vehar, former Deputy State Superintendent
* William G. "Bill" Rector, State Senator from Laramie County
* Robert L. Beaver, former Northwest College professor

#### Results

Democratic Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Katherine H. Vehar | 14,292 | 37.00% |
| | Democratic | William G. "Bill" Rector | 13,453 | 34.83% |
| | Democratic | Robert L. Beaver | 10,880 | 28.17% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 38,625 | 100.00% |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates

* Harry Roberts, member of the Wyoming Board of Education
* Cecil M. Shaw, incumbent State Superintendent of Public Instruction
* Nancy Jones Rymill, junior high school math teacher

#### Results

Republican Party primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Harry Roberts | 20,599 | 44.15% |
| | Republican | Cecil M. Shaw (inc.) | 17,100 | 36.65% |
| | Republican | Nancy Jones Rymill | 8,954 | 19.19% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 46,653 | 100.00% |

### General election
#### Results

1966 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Harry Roberts | 62,066 | 52.50% | +2.19% |
| | Democratic | Katherine H. Vehar | 56,147 | 47.50% | −2.19% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,919 | 5.01% | +4.38% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 118,213 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |