Incumbents announce re-election campaigns

A number of incumbents have announced their intent to seek re-election to county offices.

Long-serving Sweetwater County Coroner Dale Majhanovich announced he would seek another term last week. Majhanovich, a Democrat, has served as the county coroner since 1993 and was first appointed Deputy Sweetwater County Coroner in 1982. Majhanovich is a Rock Springs native, having graduated from Rock Springs High School and attended Western Wyoming Community College and San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. He received his Wyoming State Embalmers License in 1979.

He is a member of the Wyoming Coroner’s Association and the Wyoming Peace Officer’s Associations. Majhanovich has also served four terms on the Wyoming Coroner’s Board of Standards.

In 2013 he and his Chief Deputy Travis Sanders were recognized for their outstanding service on behalf of the victims of crime in Sweetwater County.

“I’ve demonstrated that commitment throughout my 40 years of service with the Sweetwater County Coroner’s Office,” Majhanovich said in his campaign announcement. “And it would be a privilege for me to continue that service.”

Sweetwater County Clerk Cindy Lane also announced her intent to seek re-election. Lane, a Republican, is finishing her first term as the county clerk.

“Serving my constituents these past four years has been an honor and a privilege, one that I would like to continue into the future,” Lane said in her campaign announcement.

“I have made many positive changes to the Clerk’s office, have worked hard to ensure the safety, security and integrity of our election process, and will continue to work towards improving the services you have come to expect from the Sweetwater County Clerk’s office.”

Lane has been a precinct committeewoman for the past six years and has been active with the Sweetwater County GOP’s Central Committee.

Lane faces a primary challenger in Anita Frey, an employee of the Sweetwater County Clerk’s Office for nearly 21 years. She was originally hired to work in the title department, then shifted to the accounting and payroll department -- an area she’s worked in for the past 16 years.

“Over the years and different administrations, I have seen what has worked and what hasn’t,” she said in her campaign announcement. “I will be a hands-on leader in the office. I will work to help the office become more efficient, while being fiscally responsible.”

Sweetwater County Assessor Dave Divis is also seeking re-election to his post. He is seeking a second full term in the position, having originally been appointed to the role in 2018 following Pat Drinkle’s retirement. He has worked for Sweetwater County since 1991.

Divis changed his party affiliation after the 2018 election, switching from Democrat to Republican. He said the reason for his change related to him initially changing his political affiliation when he was hired to work under Sue Peverley when she was Sweetwater County Treasurer. Divis said when he moved from Gillette, he was originally a Republican, but changed affiliations after getting hired to support his boss. He remained as a Democrat working under Robb Slaughter and later Drinkle when he moved to the Sweetwater County Assessor’s Office to support them as well.

Divis is a permanently-certified tax appraiser recognized by the Wyoming Department of Revenue, having more than 400 hours of continuing education in the assessment field. He is currently the president of the Wyoming County Assessors Association.

Divis said he also has done more with less since becoming the county assessor, operating the office with two fewer full-time employees than in 2016.

“We are being very careful with taxpayer dollars,” he said in his campaign announcement. “We have been able to leverage taxpayer dollars by using technology. Our E-notice program has over 1,000 taxpayers singed up which saves on paper and postage and we are utilizing new aerial photography provided by the state.”

Divis also said his experience working for Sweetwater County over the past 31 years gives him the expertise to explain the process used in assessing properties and tax billing.

“I truly believe I am the most qualified candidate for the position of Sweetwater County Assessor,” he said. “I have been fiscally conservative in my tenure in the Assessor’s Office and have always been willing to sit down and explain the assessment process to the taxpayers of Sweetwater County.”