Olsen runs for a seat in the Senate, with a focus to diversify Wyoming's economy

Mar. 27—CHEYENNE — A day after Sen. Affie Ellis, R-Cheyenne, announced she wouldn't seek another term in the Wyoming Senate, Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, declared his campaign for her seat in state Senate District 8.

As a fourth-generation Wyomingite, husband and father of three, Olsen said in his campaign release last Friday that he is "committed to protecting our western way of life."

"I firmly believe that Wyoming is the greatest place on Earth," Olsen said in the news release. "I first ran for office to make sure my children have an even better Wyoming than the one I was fortunate enough to grow up in. If I am elected to represent the people of Senate District 8, I will be a strong advocate for protecting the sacredness of the Wyoming way of life, while working to make Wyoming an even better place to live, work and raise a family."

Olsen told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Wednesday he was most excited to serve in a district that "is twice the size of a House district."

"I get the ability to represent twice as many people. And that's actually exciting to me; I get a new addition to my district," Olsen said. "I really enjoy getting out in my district and meeting people. Especially when you're campaigning, you get a lot of that experience, where you're going door to door and meeting people, and hearing from them and learning about their concerns."

Every election cycle, Olsen said he makes it a point to knock on every door in his district. This wouldn't change if he were elected to the Senate, he said.

"It's tremendously important to connect with people and try the best you can to bring their voice, their representation, to the Capitol," Olsen said.

Olsen has served in the House of Representatives since 2016, and said he would bring "eight years worth of relationships" to the Senate, if elected.

"I've been building relationships inside of the House for eight years," Olsen said. "But, more importantly, what I bring is the ability to work with the House closely, because those are the people that I've been working with for the last eight years."

In 2021-22, Olsen became the fourth-ranking Republican when he served in legislative leadership as the House Majority Whip. The Laramie County representative described this as a "key" role for Cheyenne and his county.

"In my tenure as a representative, I have been a relentless advocate for economic development, low taxes, a balanced budget and educational freedom," Olsen said in his announcement. "It is more important than ever for our community to have a strong and experienced voice in the Senate to continue the fight for Laramie County businesses, families and our community."

Olsen has served on a variety of committees during his tenure, and is currently the chair of the House Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee, "where he is focused on ensuring Wyoming has fair and safe elections," according to his campaign release.

He worked on the budget firsthand in 2019-20 when he served on the Appropriations Committee. In 2020, Olsen was chairman of the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation, where he strongly advocated for a diverse and thriving economy. The representative also chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 2021-22, where he advocated to reform Wyoming's justice system.

Olsen told the WTE this was the number one focus of his campaign in 2016, when he first ran for a seat in the House. He helped create the blockchain committee, "which is literally a diversification aspect of our economy," Olsen said.

"I would say that was probably the biggest impact that I had, in my time in the House, and I think it's an important issue," Olsen said, adding he would work to address this issue from new angles if elected in the Senate. "I do think that the diversification of our economy is one of the biggest issues Wyoming faces as it tries to figure out how it survives."

Over the years, Olsen has built up a resume of accolades to show for his contribution to the Cheyenne community. In 2019, he was a recipient of the Wyoming Business Report's 40 under 40 award and the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce's Business Advocate of the Year. The year before that, he was awarded the Bipartisan Achievement Award from the Hazlitt Policy Center.

When not serving the Legislature, Olsen runs his own law firm as an attorney and owns a small business. These experiences drive his dedication to helping Wyoming families and business thrive, according to his campaign release.

Senate District 8 covers the downtown Cheyenne area and a portion of southwest Laramie County.

Hannah Shields is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3167 or hshields@wyomingnews.com. You can follow her on X @happyfeet004.