The Wyoming Way or the Western Way?

Beginning August 8, registered Republicans in Carbon County began receiving election mailers for supporting Garrett Irene, John Espy and Sue Jones as incumbent candidates for the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC).

There was just one problem.

None of the candidates knew about the mailers until they arrived in the mail, nor were they aware of the group which paid for the mailers: The Western Way Action PAC (Political Action Committee).

While the mailers were positive-a stark contrast to the negative mailers received by voters in Wyoming for a number of contested legislative races-it still has the candidates concerned about what this will mean for local elections in the future. The race for BOCCC is the only contested county-wide partisan race this year with the three incumbents running against James "Jimmy" Hinkle and Gwynn Bartlett, the current Carbon County Clerk. The only other contested partisan race in the area is for House District 15, which includes Rawlins, Sinclair, Bairoil and parts of unincorporated Carbon County.

'An Uneasy Feeling'

All three candidates, for their part, denounced the election mailers.

"I officially denounce, deny and condemn such low tactics," said Jones in a text message. "It is very unfair and really creepy."

Jones also took to her official social media account to denounce the mailers from The Western Way PAC.

"If you received a political flyer from me paid for by the Western Way Action PAC, I did not authorize it [n] or do I know who this group is," wrote Jones. "I think it is said that the tactics of national politics has come to the local grassroots level. A list minute campaign push is not fair to the other candidates in the race."

In an email response to, Espy said he believed the mailers could be seen as an attempt to influence an election.

"It gives me an uneasy feeling with the lack of knowing who, or whom, are behind these types of things," said Espy.

Irene said he thought it was bizarre for the PAC to get involved in a local race.

"I don't really know anything about them," said Irene. "I tried to do a lot of research, but there's not a lot of information on them."

What is The Western Way?

A website for the Western Way Action PAC has very little information, with just a landing page featuring their mission and a quote from President Ronald Reagan.

"Western Way Action supports conservative leaders and commonsense policies that create economic development opportunities, promote free-market principles and drive real solutions," reads the mission statement on the website.

According to a filing through the Federal Election Commission, the Western Way Action PAC filed as a SuperPAC on July 25, 2024. In the filing, the only name associated with the organization is John Karakoulakis who is listed as both the custodian of records and the treasurer. The filing address is the same address as West Group Law & Policy, based in Denver, where Karakoulakis is listed as working as a government affairs professional.

According to the website, Karakoulakis previously worked as the Colorado Director of Government Affairs for Holland & Hart LLP and the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. He also served as the speechwriter for both the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush.

Karakoulakis is also listed as the Mountain West Director for The Western Way, according to the Conservative Energy Network. The Western Way, also based in Colorado, presents itself as a conservative conservation group. The website for the group lists accomplishments of conservative conservation efforts such as Theodore Roosevelt and National Parks, Richard Nixon and the Environmental Protection Agency, Ronald Reagan and the Montreal Protocol, and George H.W. Bush and the Acid Rain Trading Program.

"Conservatives have led the most significant conservation efforts in the western United States and yet extreme interests have recently created the false narrative that conservatives do not value the environment," reads a statement on the website. "Conservatives must reclaim leadership on this critical issue by identifying the real environmental and conservation challenges facing our country and driving the most efficient solutions to those challenges."

Nowhere Else

Perhaps even more odd than an out-of-state PAC getting involved in a local election, the race for BOCCC appears to be the only election which the Western Way Action PAC has become involved in. At least in Wyoming.

The Wyoming County Commissioners Association represents all 23 boards of county commissioners in Wyoming, and is led by executive director Jeremiah Rieman.

"I'm unaware of any other county commissioner races where Western Way Action PAC has sent mailers," said Rieman.

The Saratoga Sun emailed the Western Way PAC asking, among other questions, why the group chose to become involved in a county-level race in Wyoming and what rubrics were used to determine support for Irene, Espy and Jones. No response was received as of press time.