Dave Freudenthal
Dave Freudenthal | |
|---|---|
| File:Dave Freudenthal official photo.jpg | |
| 31st Governor of Wyoming | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Geringer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 12, 1950 Thermopolis, Wyoming |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nancy Freudenthal |
| Children | Donald Freudenthal Hillary Freudenthal Bret Freudenthal Katie Freudenthal |
| Residence | Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Alma mater | Amherst College, University of Wyoming |
| Profession | Attorney |
David Duane Freudenthal, or Dave Freudenthal (born October 12, 1950), is the current Governor of Wyoming. A Democrat, he was reelected to his second term on November 7, 2006, and is term-limited in the 2010 election.
The Wyoming Supreme Court has struck down term limits on state legislators but has not ruled in reference to limitations on how long one can serve as governor. Freudenthal has not revealed if he will attempt to seek a third term but has urged other Democrats to consider entering the race to succeed him.[1]
As of October 16, 2009, former Republican State Representative Ron Micheli of Fort Bridger in Uinta County is the only confirmed gubernatorial candidate. Wyoming House Speaker Colin Simpson of Cody, son of former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson, has registered the Simpson Exploratory Committee 2010 with the Secretary of State's office.[1]
Biography
Education and early life
Freudenthal was born in Thermopolis, the seat of Hot Springs County in north central Wyoming, the seventh of eight children, and grew up on a farm north of town. He graduated in 1973 from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, with a bachelor's degree in economics. After graduating he joined the Department of Economic Planning and Development as an economist and later became the state planning director for Governor Edgar Herschler.
Freudenthal entered the University of Wyoming College of Law, receiving his law degree in 1980, and went into private practice. In 1994, he was appointed U.S. Attorney upon the recommendation of then-Governor Mike Sullivan. Freudenthal left the post of U.S. Attorney in May 2001.
Tenure as Governor
During Freudenthal's term, Wyoming has enjoyed a prosperous economy. The petroleum, natural gas, and mineral boom in Wyoming have given the state a budget surplus, projected at $1.8 billion in 2006.[2] Freudenthal has proposed that the state save $1.2 billion over the next two years.[3] Freudenthal, who enjoys the highest approval rating of any Governor at around 68 percent, was endorsed by the National Rifle Association and reelected over the Republican Ray Hunkins in the 2006 Wyoming gubernatorial election,[4] carrying every county in the state, most by landslide margins. As Governor, he is a member of the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association. Freudenthal is the recent past Chairman of the Western Governors Association. He also has come up in national political limelight, due to the late U.S. Senator Craig L. Thomas's death. He was designated to appoint a new U.S. Senator and chose John Barrasso. Freudenthal was rumoured to be a possible candidate in the 2008 special election to complete Thomas's term, but he declined to run, saying that he loved being Governor.
During the course of the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, Freudenthal endorsed then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois on April 2, 2008, citing Obama's style of leadership and openness to discussion as the main reasons for his endorsement. Obama won the Wyoming Democratic Caucus over then-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in a landslide with 61.44 percent of the vote to Clinton's 37.83 percent.
Personal life
Freudenthal is married to Nancy D. Freudenthal, a native of Cody, who works as a private attorney in Cheyenne. They have four children: Donald, Hillary, Bret, and Katie.
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dave Freudenthal* | 135,516 | 69.89% | + 19.93 | |
| Republican | Ray Hunkins | 58,100 | 29.97% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dave Freudenthal | 92,662 | 49.96% | ||
| Republican | Eli Bebout | 88,873 | 47.92% | ||
| Libertarian | Dave Dawson | 3,924 | 2.12% | ||
Notes
- ^ a b "Bill McCarthy, "Freudenthal urges other Democrats to enter race"". wyomingnews.com. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
- ^ "Nation in brief." Washington Post. 4 Dec. 2005.
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ Survey USA approval ratings
External links
- Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal official state site
- Dave for Governor official campaign site
