Marguerite Herman

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Marguerite Herman

Prior offices:

Laramie County School District 1 At-large

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Colorado College, 1972

Graduate

University of Chicago, 1973

Graduate

University of South Carolina, 1983

Personal

Birthplace

Albuquerque, NM

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Advocacy

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

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Personal Instagram

Marguerite Herman was a member of the Laramie County School District 1 At-large in Wyoming.

Herman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Wyoming State Senate to represent District 8. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Herman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Marguerite Herman was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Herman earned a bachelor's degree from Colorado College in 1972, a graduate degree from the University of Chicago in 1973, and a graduate degree from the University of South Carolina in 1983. Herman's professional experience includes lobbying for the Wyoming League of Women Voters, working as a secondary public school teacher, junior college teacher, reporter for wire service, editor for Wyoming Catholic Register, small business owner, and a Wyoming legislative lobbyist. Herman has served on the Wyoming State Board of Nursing and Wyoming Children's Trust Fund Board.

Herman has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• US Breastfeeding Committee
• Prevent Child Abuse Wyoming
• Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Advocates for School Trust Land
• St. Mary's Cathedral
• Wyoming School Boards Association
• Hispanic Organization for Progress and Hope
• Cheyenne Civic Band
• Wyoming High School Mock Trial
• Cheyenne Schools Foundation
• Laramie County Community Partnership
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners consumer representatives
• Cheyenne Organ Concert Series
• Cheyenne City Band
• LCCC Wind Ensemble
• Cheyenne Optimist Club
• Powder River Basin Resource Council
• Wyoming Outdoor Council
• Advocates for School Trust Lands
• Healthy Wyoming
• Wyoming Girls State
• League of Women Voters of Wyoming

Elections

2024

See also: Wyoming State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Wyoming State Senate District 8

Jared Olsen defeated Marguerite Herman in the general election for Wyoming State Senate District 8 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jared Olsen (R)	57.9	3,444
		Marguerite Herman (D)	41.4	2,464
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	39

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,947
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wyoming State Senate District 8

Marguerite Herman advanced from the Democratic primary for Wyoming State Senate District 8 on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marguerite Herman	97.9	460
		Other/Write-in votes	2.1	10

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 470
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wyoming State Senate District 8

Jared Olsen advanced from the Republican primary for Wyoming State Senate District 8 on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jared Olsen	92.4	1,222
		Other/Write-in votes	7.6	100

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,322
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Herman in this election.

2022

See also: Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 11

Incumbent Jared Olsen defeated Marguerite Herman in the general election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 11 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jared Olsen (R)	52.6	1,145
		Marguerite Herman (D)	46.6	1,013
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	17

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,175
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 11

Marguerite Herman defeated James Byrd in the Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 11 on August 16, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marguerite Herman	64.0	162
		James Byrd	35.6	90
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	1

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 253
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 11

Incumbent Jared Olsen advanced from the Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 11 on August 16, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jared Olsen	95.6	1,359
		Other/Write-in votes	4.4	62

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,421
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Laramie County School District 1 elections (2014)

The November 4, 2014, general election in the Laramie County School District 1 featured four seats up for election. All of the seats up for re-election were at-large positions. Incumbents Anne Beckle, Mark Klaassen and Sandy Shanor faced seven challengers. They were Lee Beidleman, Bill Henderson, Marguerite Herman, Jim Landen, Gabriel J. Pina, Calob Taylor and Ken Vernon. Incumbent Hank Bailey did not file for re-election.

Incumbents Shanor and Klaassen won re-election while newcomers Herman and Landen won their first terms on the board.

Results

Laramie County School District 1, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Marguerite Herman	14.4%	9,668
	Nonpartisan	Sandy Shanor Incumbent	13.1%	8,805
	Nonpartisan	Mark Klaassen Incumbent	12.5%	8,386
	Nonpartisan	Jim Landen	11.9%	8,009
	Nonpartisan	Lee Beidleman	11.9%	8,007
	Nonpartisan	Anne Beckle Incumbent	10.4%	6,986
	Nonpartisan	Bill Henderson	7.7%	5,181
	Nonpartisan	Ken Vernon	6.5%	4,391
	Nonpartisan	Calob Taylor	6.3%	4,218
	Nonpartisan	Gabriel J. Pina	4.8%	3,248
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.2%	163
Total Votes				67,062
Source: Laramie County Clerk, "Official 2014 General Election," accessed December 22, 2014

Funding

The Laramie County Clerk does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports.

Endorsements

Herman did not receive any endorsements during the election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Marguerite Herman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Herman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 44-year resident of this district, with decades of public service in my community and across Wyoming. I have skills, experience and demonstrated commitment to good k-12 schools, to healthy and strong families and to elections that are free, fair and secure.

I have masters' degrees in teaching and journalism. My experience with the Wyoming Legislature started in 1980 as a reporter, then as a parent champion for school funding and then as an advocate for government integrity for the League of Women Voters. In the Capitol, I have a reputation for working for practical answers to real Wyoming problems. As a senator, with focus on the people of my district, I will work hard to understand their issues and join with diverse groups across aisles to find solutions. Partial list of work: -- Trustee 8 years for Laramie County School District 1 -- State Board of Nursing and Wyoming Children's Trust Fund (current) -- National Association of Insurance Commissioners consumer representative -- Member of Hispanic Organization for Progress and Education (HOPE) and board of COMEA homeless shelter -- Music ministry at St. Mary's Cathedral, member of Cheyenne City Band and LCCC Wind Ensemble -- Author of 400-page "A Look at Wyoming Government," published by LWV Wyoming. in 2006 -- Owner of small business

-- Cheyenne Schools Foundation, Wyoming Breastfeeding Coalition, Wyoming Girls State, Wyoming High School Mock Trial

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The future of Wyoming relies on a strong public education system, with full funding of k-12 education and making quality pre-school available to families. This is one of the most important jobs the Legislature has, while it supports local school districts' work to deliver the education.
• Wyoming can use federal funds to give low-income Wyoming people access to healthcare covered by the state Medicaid program. About 19,000 Wyoming people don’t make enough to qualify for the subsidized health insurance plans on the ACA “exchange,” and they go without or go into debt. Letting that group qualify for Medicaid is supported by business and county government leaders, healthcare providers and a majority of Wyoming residents. This is an investment in our families and economy.
• For my 4 decades in this district, the only time I have heard from the people representing me in the Wyoming Legislature is at election time. I mean to change that, because that is my responsibility as a senator. Even more important is the fact that communication with my constituents will enable me to work better for them and contribute to the good governance of the Legislature for the whole state. I promise to reach out to my 20,000 constituents to listen and to inform, starting with the day I am elected.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

--Government accountability and support for Wyoming's hard-working families and businesses

-- Commitment to local control and limited government
-- Civic engagement of people in SD 8 and across Wyoming in their government

-- Making policies and laws that understand the principle of investing in people and services now that result in greater ROI -- return on investment -- for the future of our state

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Officials must understand their election is to public service, above all. Not self-service or service to a partisan political party or leader.

As a school trustee, my duty was always clearly to the children of LCSD1. I recognized when someone tried to steer a decision to politics (partisan or otherwise). I resisted the distraction and kept school children, and the people who educate them, at the center of my decisions.

The duty to "public service" and all the people being served (not just the people who voted for them) keeps officials on the right track.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am honest, respectful, thoughtful, diligent, thorough and articulate,

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Core responsibilities would be diligent understanding of every bill in committee and as many bills as possible as they come to the floor. My duty as senator would be to listen diligently to input from my constituents, agencies and other experts and then to debate vigorously and respectfully as I listen to other lawmakers.
Be open-minded AND critical and focused on Wyoming values and the people now and in the future.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I served people who relied on me.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was 8 years old when my father was stationed at Itazuke Air Base in Japan, and our family traveled there in August 1958 on the Navy freighter Breckenridge from San Francisco to Taiwan and then to Japan. I didn't realize it at the time, but we had picked up U.S. servicemen in Seattle before we headed across the Pacific and transported them to Taiwan. We spent a month on that freighter. The event: The 1958 Formosa Strait Crisis.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

As .US. Air Force family, we moved every summer, so that limited job opportunities as a teen. However, I worked in the dishroom in college for 3 years. I became very skilled in loading and unloading the commercial dishwasher, which turned out extremely hot dishes very quickly.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Mutual respect is the foundation of a good working relationship. That is respect for each other as elected officials but also respect for the different roles of the legislative and executive branches of government.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

For decades, I've heard people talk about the need to diversify the economy, but hard decisions and the idea that "we're fine for now" have created inertia. Until now, when people seem more aware of the need to act for the future, so we are less reliant on a volatile economy based on mineral extraction. Wyoming has benefited from the great revenue and jobs provided by that sector, but it's time to look ahead to use and develop new opportunities. The Meta data center in Cheyenne is one, but the Legislature needs to look at the whole state. What will draw and retain good businesses? Direct economic subsidies are difficult to support, but the state should look at workforce development, transportation, healthcare access and affordable housing to enhance Wyoming's profile as a great place to locate and grow a business.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, it can be beneficial to understand the procedure, previous legislative actions and the individuals who hold the 93 seats in the Legislature. The exception would be when that experience has been in strict service to a narrow political agenda, especially a nationally-written agenda.
Experience is a benefit when it results in an understanding and concern for sometimes complicated, genuine Wyoming issues, and when it has helped find Wyoming solutions. That is the experience I bring to this campaign.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

As a lobbyist, I well understand the benefits of building relationships with everyone of all persuasions to explain and advocate for issues. Doing that job well requires putting aside differences to find and focus on the common interest. Examples include bringing together a wide variety of lawmakers and groups on issues of death penalty and continued Medicaid coverage for new moms.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

John Schiffer, state senator from Kaycee.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I have heard several personal stories from people who fall into the healthcare "coverage gap" and face crushing medical debt or skip necessary care. There's Myra Garcia of Laramie, who talks about having a $500,000 bill for cancer treatment, but no health insurance and no ability to apply for Medicaid because her family earns more than $1,100/month. She is in a gap of making too much for Medicaid and not enough to get subsidies on the ACA insurance exchange. The state could close that gap now, with 90 percent federal funding. You can hear her story on HealthyWyoming.org.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Executive branch authority provides the ability to react quickly and effectively. Legislative involvement should be limited but available for exceptional occasions.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I don't have one ready to go. But at some point I want the Legislature to revisit our Wyoming Public Records Act and close some loopholes that make the law virtually impossible to enforce.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

So far:

Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce

PACE (political action committee) of Wyoming Education Association

What committees interest you?

Education, Corporations, Agriculture

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Both are absolutely necessary and should be easy for officials and members of the public to access.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I would support a return to the original initiative process of 1968, with a 15 percent petition signature requirement but without limiting where the signatures were gathered. That distribution requirement makes a very difficult process completely impossible without an army of paid signature gatherers.

Supporters of the distribution requirement cry out that we don't want to be buried in ballot issues, as are other states. Nonsense. We have never had that problem.

There may be an argument for a lower signature threshold, for instance 10 percent. Perhaps.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Marguerite Herman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Herman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have lived for 42 years in the neighborhoods of HD11 and know it well.

I have 25 years experience working with the Legislature on good government issues supported by the League of Women Voters. I have served on the Laramie County School District 1 Board for 8 years. I understand public education challenges and opportunities -- district, state, and federal -- which enables me to shape decisions for a sustainable, quality public education system. That includes actual experience working with qualified charter schools. I have worked for decades through various ideas considered by the Legislature and others to find solutions to Wyoming's expensive and shrinking health care systems. We have new opportunities through Medicaid to find solutions for thousands of people in Wyoming. I further can draw upon the knowledge gained from 10 years as a consumer representative with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Though my non-partisan advocacy and 8 years in a non-partisan trustee position, I understand the benefits of working across interest groups and aisles to find common ground.

I will come to the Capitol with my background and positions, but I also bring a mind that is open and eager to learn from the public, especially the people of HD11, and from the experts and other legislators. We have a citizen Legislature. We govern best when we bring our best ideas and care about each other.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Updated funding for public education and an adequate and reliable revenue plan
• Accessible and affordable healthcare for Wyoming families
• Open, accountable government and leadership that works with diverse voices to identify and enact real solutions

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

A healthy Wyoming, investing in the future of Wyoming and its youth, supporting excellent public education and ensuring an open and accountable government.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The event was the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, a conflict that took place between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). At the time, I was on a US Navy freighter called "Breckenridge" with my family on our way from San Francisco to Japan, where my father was stationed at Itazuke Air Base. I learned later that the Breckenridge was carrying servicemen and/or supplies for the conflict in Taiwan. I was just turning 8 years old at the time and, of course, had no idea what was going on. We were in Japan for 3 1/2 years.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Marguerite Herman campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Wyoming State Senate District 8	Lost general	$41,774	$40,774
2022	Wyoming House of Representatives District 11	Lost general	$15,732	$13,636
Grand total			$57,506	$54,410
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Wyoming State Senate District 8

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Wyoming House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Chip Neiman

Majority Leader:Scott Heiner

Minority Leader:Mike Yin

Representatives

District 1

Chip Neiman (R)

District 2

J.D. Williams (R)

District 3

Abby Angelos (R)

District 4

Jeremy Haroldson (R)

District 5

Scott Smith (R)

District 6

Tomi Strock (R)

District 7

Bob Nicholas (R)

District 8

Steve Johnson (R)

District 9

Landon Brown (R)

District 10

Vacant

District 11

Jacob Wasserburger (R)

District 12

Clarence Styvar (R)

District 13

Ken Chestek (D)

District 14

Trey Sherwood (D)

District 15

Pam Thayer (R)

District 16

Mike Yin (D)

District 17

J.T. Larson (R)

District 18

Scott Heiner (R)

District 19

Joseph Webb (R)

District 20

Michael Schmid (R)

District 21

McKay Erickson (R)

District 22

Andrew Byron (R)

District 23

Liz Storer (D)

District 24

Nina Webber (R)

District 25

Paul Hoeft (R)

District 26

Dalton Banks (R)

District 27

Martha Lawley (R)

District 28

John Winter (R)

District 29

Ken Pendergraft (R)

District 30

Thomas Kelly (R)

District 31

John Bear (R)

District 32

Ken Clouston (R)

District 33

Ivan Posey (D)

District 34

Pepper Ottman (R)

District 35

Tony Locke (R)

District 36

Art Washut (R)

District 37

Steve Harshman (R)

District 38

Jayme Lien (R)

District 39

Cody Wylie (R)

District 40

Marilyn Connolly (R)

District 41

Gary Brown (R)

District 42

Rob Geringer (R)

District 43

Ann Lucas (R)

District 44

Lee Filer (R)

District 45

Karlee Provenza (D)

District 46

Ocean Andrew (R)

District 47

Robert Davis (R)

District 48

Darin McCann (R)

District 49

Robert Wharff (R)

District 50

Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R)

District 51

Laurie Bratten (R)

District 52

Reuben Tarver (R)

District 53

Christopher Knapp (R)

District 54

Lloyd Larsen (R)

District 55

Joel Guggenmos (R)

District 56

Elissa Campbell (R)

District 57

Julie Jarvis (R)

District 58

Bill Allemand (R)

District 59

J.R. Riggins (R)

District 60

Marlene Brady (R)

District 61

Daniel Singh (R)

District 62

Kevin Campbell (R)

Republican Party (55)

Democratic Party (6)

Vacancies (1)