Should Teton County charge tourists a fee to lessen the burden on locals? What should a one-bedroom apartment cost? What do you want your legacy to be?
These were some of the dozen questions residents posed to Democratic commissioner hopefuls at the League of Women Voters of Wyoming candidate forum last week.
Despite working with death daily as county coroner, Dr. Brent Blue said he doesn’t think much about legacy.
“I really don’t care what’s going to be on my tombstone,” he said. “I would like to be remembered as part of a commission that got a lot of stuff done and solved the difficult problems that we have in this county.”
The discussion came the day after the three incumbents voted to end a major affordable housing partnership years in the making. They each offered rationale for their decision to call off plans for about 200 homes at 90 Virginian Lane, noting that the deal had become more unaffordable and the relationship with their chosen developer had soured.
“The biggest loss would be that we don’t learn from this,” said challenger Ali Dunford. The other challengers, Blue and Karyn Chin, said the county doesn’t need to abandon the public-private partnership model just because of one failure.
One of the starkest divides of the Democrat’s primary is the split of gender, age and experience. The three male incumbents are older than 45. They face two female newcomers to elected office who are younger than 42. Blue is 75 and has served on the hospital board. He’s the exception for the challengers.
Asked whether Teton County needs fresh ideas or expert guidance, the candidates were expectedly split.
Dunford asked for a show of hands “if you feel like we’re moving in the right direction.” A third of the room of about 60 people raised their hands.
“What I’m hearing from my constituents is that we’re not happy with the way things are going,” the Hole Food Rescue founder said. “It’s time for a new generation of ideas.”
Blue agreed. “There’s some imaginative and interesting ways to generate income that we can’t get from property taxes,” he said.
Chin, a political strategist and Jackson Hole Pride founder, said “our leaders are not able to deliver on the promise of our comprehensive plan: community first and resort second.”
Ali Dunford at the 2026 Democratic County Commissioner Candidate Voter Forum. (Sophia Boyd-Fliegel / KHOL)
The incumbents defended their track record and approach.
“We’re going to be faced with new challenges that really do require a deep, intimate understanding of land development regulations. I read those at night — not every night — but I pour through them,” said Chair Mark Newcomb, three-term incumbent. “They really are a critical book of spells. And if you have knowledge of them, then staff doesn’t drive the discussion when it comes to critical planning.”
Wes Gardner said it took him a year to find his “sea legs” as a commissioner following two unsuccessful runs as an independent.
“I still have a lot of fresh ideas, ideas that have yet to gain traction with the commission,” he said. “I look forward to another four years so that I can really get some momentum.”
Luther Propst, who is seeking a third term, said he’s willing to be an “independent voice” on the commission, including opposing developments that “just brings more and more growth with marginal benefits to the community.”
Propst was the lone commissioner to vote against plans for hundreds of affordable homes in northern South Park, citing the same critique.
All six were also asked about diversity in leadership, with a crowd member noting that only one sitting commissioner is a woman. None of the current or prospective commissioners are Latino. The county’s Latino population is estimated around 30%.
Newcomb, who had wavered in his decision to run, noted the county’s rich history of effective women in leadership. Propst, 67, said he encourages younger people to run, noting the irony. Wes Gardner said he was glad to share the forum stage with two women.
“When we don’t have representation that reflects who we are, then we all suffer,” he said.
All grappled with the high housing costs in Teton County which is, by some metrics, the wealthiest in the country.
Asked how much a one-bedroom should cost, Newcomb said it depends how much a person makes, per local regulations. Dunford said her budget is $1,000 per month, which forced her over the Tetons in Alta. Propst said officials should prioritize first responders and teachers for affordable units. Chin said $1,800 is high enough to force some people out of the community. Gardner bemoaned the days of paying $400 per month when he moved to Jackson in 1997, while Blue said the affordable housing is a “countrywide problem.”
As for strategies to leverage the wealth of Teton County’s high earners, the challengers all supported raising taxes on second-home owners — a push that state lawmakers would need to approve.
Gardner also bemoaned the rise in trophy homes. But his fellow incumbents Newcomb and Propst said wealthy residents offer a potential philanthropic pipeline. That has support projects like Save The Block to preserve local businesses and downtown greenspace and fund below-market homes like those at the Jackson Street Apartments.
As for tourists, candidates across the board said they would aim to limit growth while keeping traffic flowing.
“There’s no value in vilifying tourists, or skids, or bankers,” Propst said.
The primary is Aug. 18. The three who move on will face Republicans Vicky O’Donoghue and Melchor Moore in the general and independent Alex Muromcew, who has collected enough signatures to appear on the November ballot.
