The following is a press release provided by the campaign for publication.
A Laramie resident and long-time champion of Wyoming’s small businesses, Democratic candidate Trey Sherwood is running for House District No. 14.
“I view myself as a public servant,” Sherwood said. “I see my friends are hurting, the businesses are scared, and I want to help my community.”
The daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter jet mechanic, Sherwood grew up on military bases before earning a masters in public history from the University of West Georgia. In 2004, she brought her love for history West and served as the Wyoming Territorial Prison’s first head historian.
“Wyoming is home — the people, the outdoors, the opportunity for ordinary folks to make a difference by becoming part of our great democratic process,” Sherwood explained. “There’s no place like it on Earth.”
After helping establish the Territorial Prison as a state historic site, Sherwood turned her passion toward downtown Laramie and its growing community of small businesses.
“The nuts and bolts of public history is to take everything we know from the past and use it to improve our lives today,” she said.
The Laramie Main Street Alliance, a non-profit organization that serves as the voice of both businesses and residents in Laramie’s historic downtown district, brought Sherwood on as executive director 10 years ago. During her time leading the organization, 104 new businesses opened their doors, creating 484 new jobs. Sherwood helped establish the Laramie Mural Project and the Laramie Public Art Coalition and was a member of the development team that constructed a new location for the Big Hollow Food Co-op, filling a void in the downtown business district left after the Fox Theater was demolished.
After serving the public for 15 years, Sherwood said she is ready to take the next step — running for office in the Wyoming House of Representatives.
If elected, Sherwood will prioritize economic development and support for small businesses as they establish a path forward in the daunting economic realities of a post-pandemic America.
“What I see happening at the local, state and national level is our small businesses are falling through too many loopholes when they are seeking support,” she said. “We need to allow them to grow. More small businesses means more jobs.”
Additionally, Sherwood will work toward modeling a culture of accountability and respect among Wyoming’s state representatives.
“I’m not a politician,” she said. “But at the end of the day, this is about relationship building.”