Craig passes after long battle wtih Leukemia
Wyoming’s Sen. Thomas Dead at 74
By Courtney Lowery, 6-05-07
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Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas died Monday night at a Maryland hospital after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Thomas, who had served in Congress since replacing Dick Cheney in the House in 1989, was 74.
As Mary Clare Jalonick reports for the Associated Press today, Thomas’ family delivered the news in an announcement late Monday.
Thomas, who had a reputation for shying away from the regular political limelight, was a conservative Republican who was heavily inovolved in representing Wyoming’s oil, gas and mineral interests, including pushing for the development of coal gassification in the state. He also waded early into public lands debates, especially those including National Parks, namely Yellowstone National Park.
Just last month, Thomas introduced a bill that would designate the Snake River headwaters and some of its tributaries as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, noting that the river’s headwaters in Northwest Wyoming run next to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone as well as National Forest land.
Jim Magagna, the executive vice president of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association told the AP Thomas’ representation of Wyoming and seniority in D.C. will be missed. He said Thomas “really was a champion for the issues important to us in the West, particularly us in any natural resource industry. He was consistently there for us. ... This is a real loss for the state of Wyoming of someone who has championed our issues and had some seniority in the Senate. It will be an adjustment for our industry not having Craig Thomas back there for us.”
The Associated press has compiled reaction from Thomas’ other friends and collegues, including Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo, who said, “The Senate will not be the same. Craig was the core of our delegation. He was a fierce advocate for Wyoming.”
Thomas had returned to the Senate in December after his first round of chemotherapy. He was undergoing a second round of therapy when he passed away. He first announced his diagnosis just two days after the last election, which he won with 70 percent of the vote. During the election, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. Thomas was first elected to the Senate in 1994.
The Wyoming Republican Party will choose three finalists to replace Thomas, of which Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal will choose among to serve until the the 2008 general election.
President George Bush released a statement Monday, saying he and Laura are deeply saddened by the news of Thomas’ death. The statement reads, “During nearly 23 years of public service as a Senator, Congressman, and state legislator, Senator Thomas was a tireless and effective advocate for the people of his beloved home state. He was a man of character and integrity known for his devotion to the values he shared with the people of Wyoming. He leaves a lasting legacy as a guardian of Wyoming’s lands and resources and our country’s National Parks. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Senator Thomas’ wife, Susan, his family, and friends.”
Correction: This story has been corrected to clarify when Thomas entered Congress. We regret the error.
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Comments
Thanks for that clarification. I've noted it in the story.
This would also allow the President to choose a new VP and breath some new life into his Administration during his final years in office.
most intense and important battles-- to set aside some of the Wyoming Range and other non-designated wilderness National Forest lands from the kind of natural gas development that can be seen on the Pinedale anticline and the Jonah Field among other places. It will be interesting--if you can view it purely as a bystander, which nobody who knows the Wyoming Range, with its wildlife, beauty and pristine watersheds, could possibly do-to see what Wyoming politician will have the foresight and the fortitude to stand strong on the issue, as Thomas did.
Hal
I doubt if Cheney would settle for a Senate seat (nor would Gov. Dave pick him), compared to the power of the VP's office. The challenge facing both the Democratic and Republican parties in Wyoming is the fact that all three congressional delegation seats will be up before the voters in 2008. The GOP wants to hang onto all three, while the Dems would very much like to capture all three.
In '06, Cubin demonstrated her vulnerability (beating Trauner by .5%) while Thomas matched Gov. Dave's popularity with a 75% win.
In '08, Enzi looks to have a comfortable lead, but the Cubin and ex-Thomas seats are anything but lead-pipe cinches, no matter who gets Thomas' seat.
He (or his office) answered every single message I ever sent to him.
In your article, you mention his "bill that would designate the Snake River headwaters and some of its tributaries as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System." Do we know, can we credibly speculate on, what will happen to that bill now?
I don't think there's any way to speculate on what might happen to this bill now, but it does have fairly broad support -- even Thomas noted that himself as he explored the bill's possibilities.
Here's what he said, which is also telling of his approach to politics and, as Hal notes, natural resources:
"The effort dovetails with my philosophy that the work legislators do should continue to enhance Wyoming's quality of life. From the positive feedback I've received so far, a designation may serve to do just that."
A much bigger question is whether the modest changes to the ESA that he has prosed will go forward. Not many are able to withstand the pressure form environmental groups. He said once it had to be small steps to reform it, rather than where I wanted to see reform started by taking the control one groups has over another away, and making delisting as firm as listing.