THE ROAD TO THE CAPITOL: Museum Manager Pushes for More Personal Freedom and Less Government Control

By Shen Wu Tan

Special to the Wyoming Truth
 

KAYCEE, Wyo. –Nicki Taylor is surrounded by local historical artifacts from the 1800s, but she is looking to the future and crossing her fingers for change.

A registered Republican and manager of the Hoofprints of the Past Museum, Taylor, 73, wants to remove incumbent Rep. Liz Cheney from office and replace her with Trump-endorsed Cheyenne attorney Harriet Hageman. And Trump’s endorsement of Hageman doesn’t hurt, either.

“I think [Hageman] does have Wyoming’s interests at heart and more common sense,” Taylor said from behind her desk at the museum, a model of a doctor’s buggy in front of her and a glass display of Fort Reno behind her. “But when they run so many candidates, you’ve got to pick one that’s more likely to win than the incumbent. I also want to go out and make sure that they don’t divide up the vote too much, and I encourage other people to do that very same thing—or consider that anyway.” 

Even before the Jan. 6 select committee was formed, Taylor opposed Rep. Liz Cheney, who will square off against Hageman and three other candidates in the Aug. 16 GOP primary. In her view, the Jan. 6 committee is vilifying Trump and his followers.

“The stuff she’s said and the votes she’s had against Trump, they didn’t make sense,” Taylor said. “They didn’t make sense for us in this state. We knew that was a personal agenda…You’re supposed to be representing the people who elected you, and they weren’t votes that did that.”

A Trump supporter, Taylor wishes the former president could return to the White House before the presidential election in 2024, noting that he had the country’s welfare in mind.

“He demonstrated what could be done; he demonstrated standing up for the country within the world,” Taylor said.

But until 2024, Taylor wants elected officials to focus on protecting personal freedom, reforming the education system, lowering taxes and preventing governmental overreach with regulations such as COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

“I think that we need to get back to letting people live their lives,” she said.

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