Don Hollingshead Candidate Interview by Wyoming News Now

The Wyoming Primary Elections will take place on Aug. 16, 2022.(MGN)

By Kristin Kasper

Published: Jul. 22, 2022 at 10:30 AM MDT|Updated: 23 hours ago

https://www.wyomingnewsnow.tv/video/2022/07/22/don-hollingshead-candidate-interview/

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - We reached out to all three Republican candidates who have filed to become a candidate for Laramie County Sheriff. Below are the candidates running who responded to our request. The information below is written by the candidates and unedited by Wyoming News Now.

Democrat Jess Fresquez has also filed to run. She does not face a primary challenger.

AGE: 55

OCCUPATION: I am currently the Detention Captain of the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office. I have been with the Sheriff’s Office for 27 years in most positions.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: While I have a lot of experience working in the agency and in the community with elected officials, I do not have experience running for office.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN LARAMIE COUNTY? I have lived in Laramie County my entire life. I am a third-generation resident of Laramie County.

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING? I am running for Sheriff because I love this agency and the citizens of Laramie County and believe this community needs a leader with the experience and knowledge of not only this agency but how the county operates. With the many challenges facing Laramie County, the Sheriff’s Department needs tested leader; a leader who knows how to overcome adversity as in the case of the global pandemic and how it affected the jail, as well as a leader who has the empathy and skill to find ways to better assist our communities growing mental health and addiction issues.

I am well versed in all positions as I have worked in most of them therefore I know almost all aspects of the Sheriff’s Department. For all these reasons and more, I feel I am the best candidate to lead Laramie County into the future.

WHAT IS LARAMIE COUNTY’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE? I believe the greatest challenges facing Laramie County are drug addiction and mental health, both of which are on the rise and go hand-in-hand as the vast majority of people with mental illness utilize drugs to help cope with their condition. By tackling the mental health and drug addiction issues head on, crime rates will be positively affected as well.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I invite everyone to review my personal information and professional credentials on my campaign website at donhollingsheadforsheriff.com and visit our Facebook page at DonHollingsheadForSheriff.

What I feel is important for everyone to know is that I have over 27 years of experience with the Laramie County Sheriff’s office and have worked in just about every position. My current role as Detention Captain makes me the only candidate, among those running for this important position, who can say they have relevant and “recent” experience running a detention facility. This includes overseeing all jail functions during the global pandemic.

My pledge to the citizens of Laramie County is to defend and protect each one of them from government overreach and ensure rights guaranteed by the United States and Wyoming Constitutions, including their Second Amendment rights, are not trampled on. I am the only candidate who for decades has volunteered with various nonprofit and public service organizations to include Kiwanis, Safe Harbor Children’s Justice Center, Special Friends, Special Olympics, and my church’s elders team and security team, as well as many others. My goal in all that I have done and continue to do is to make Laramie County a safe and welcoming place to live and raise a family. None of the other candidates can say they have played an active role in improving Laramie County to the degree that I have.

Now that I have secured raises and fair market pay for the sworn staff, once again making the Sheriff’s Office competitive with the surrounding agencies, my goal is to as quickly as possible fill the many open positions so we may better serve all citizens of Laramie County to include the rural communities.

My only request to the citizens of Laramie County is for them to ask the hard questions of all candidates and then do their research to ensure the information given to them is accurate. I welcome all Laramie County residents to visit my campaign Facebook page and website and ask me any questions you may have pertaining to my candidacy.