(Riverton, WY) – Tuesday was a special day for Carl Manning and Shanell Stanley – and not just because they both won their primary election races.
Both candidates had birthdays on Aug. 18, and they celebrated the occasion together this year as they waited for the primary election results to come in at Stanley’s house.
It wasn’t the first time the two had spent their birthdays together, Manning said Wednesday, recalling multiple years when he and Stanley would see each other at school events on Aug. 18.
“That happened many times over the years,” he said, noting that he has been on the Riverton School Board for 36 years and Stanley previously worked for Fremont County School District 25.
Manning will have to resign from the school board if he is elected to represent Wyoming House District 55 in the General Election in November – a likely prospect, given that no one has emerged to oppose him in the race thus far.
His uncontested candidacy made his Republican primary win Tuesday evening pretty “anti-climactic,” Manning said – but for Stanley, “it was really exciting” when she emerged as the top vote-getter in Commission District 3.
Stanley, who received 762 votes, 40.36% of the total, echoed Manning’s sentiments and looked back fondly on the birthdays they got to share together when the school district would welcome teachers back at the start of the school year.
“…On the first day back for staff, there would be like a general meeting where they would address the whole staff in District 25,” Stanley explained. “He (Manning) was a board member, but he always was the one who showed up on that first day back to see staff.”
Stanley said she was met with a round of “Happy Birthdays” when the results were announced, while she shared birthday pizza with everyone at her house in celebration.
“I was excited,” Stanley said of the moment the results were announced. “I mean, I’ve worked hard… I tried to run a really kind, clean, traditional campaign and I stayed true to myself and not try to sell something that I’m not. …I feel like I had a very thoughtful campaign. That’s how I would describe it. I really tried to be thoughtful about it.”
Stanley said that the campaign trail was a “positive journey,” one where she got to reconnect with former students and colleagues, as well as hear many recollections of her late mother, Sheri, from folks who had fond memories of her.
“Because I’ve grown up here my whole life, and so many people knew her, that was really meaningful to me,” Stanley recounted. “It was like she almost revived for it. It was so cool.”
Stanley added that after she takes a short break, she will be diving right into the duties of a commissioner.
“For me right now, it’s time to educate myself on a lot of different things. I’ve heard from different people on different boards to please start coming to their meetings now, so I plan to do that. I’m going to take a week or two off, and then I’m going to get after the grind.”