Ken Chestek
Ken Chestek (Democratic Party) is a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, representing District 13. He assumed office on January 2, 2023. His current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Chestek (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Wyoming House of Representatives to represent District 13. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Ken Chestek was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Chestek earned a bachelor's degree from Penn State University in 1975 and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979. His career experience includes working as a professor.[1][2]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Chestek was assigned to the following committees:
Elections
2024
See also: Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13
Incumbent Ken Chestek defeated Shane Swett in the general election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ken Chestek (D) | 53.0 | 1,941 |
| Shane Swett (R) | 46.9 | 1,718 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 6 | ||
| Total votes: 3,665 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13
Incumbent Ken Chestek advanced from the Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Chestek | 100.0 | 325 |
| Total votes: 325 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13
Shane Swett advanced from the Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Shane Swett | 91.0 | 484 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 9.0 | 48 | ||
| Total votes: 532 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Chestek in this election.
2022
See also: Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13
Ken Chestek defeated Wayne Pinch in the general election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Chestek (D) | 59.8 | 1,397 |
| Wayne Pinch (R) | 39.9 | 933 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 8 | ||
| Total votes: 2,338 | |||
| = 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 13
Ken Chestek advanced from the Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 on August 16, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Chestek | 98.1 | 211 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.9 | 4 | ||
| Total votes: 215 | |||
| = 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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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13
Wayne Pinch advanced from the Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 on August 16, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Wayne Pinch | 97.0 | 938 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.0 | 29 | ||
| Total votes: 967 | |||
| = 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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2016
Elections for the Wyoming House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 16, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 27, 2016. Incumbent Glenn Moniz (R) did not seek re-election.
Bill Haley defeated Ken Chestek in the Wyoming House of Representatives District 46 general election.[3]
| Wyoming House of Representatives, District 46 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Bill Haley |
58.45% | 2,935 | |
| Democratic | Ken Chestek | 41.55% | 2,086 | |
| Total Votes | 5,021 | |||
| Source: Wyoming Secretary of State | ||||
Ken Chestek ran unopposed in the Wyoming House of Representatives District 46 Democratic primary.[4][5]
| Wyoming House of Representatives, District 46 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Ken Chestek (unopposed) | |
Bill Haley ran unopposed in the Wyoming House of Representatives District 46 Republican primary.[4][5]
| Wyoming House of Representatives, District 46 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Bill Haley (unopposed) | |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ken Chestek did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Ken Chestek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Chestek's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- The climate is on fire. We need to support and prioritize green energy alternatives and wean ourselves off of fossil fuels.
- Wyoming need a more diverse economy. No more boom and bust! We can solve the climate problem by investing in alternative energy sources, thereby diversifying our economy.
- Protecting reproductive choices and freedom for women. Government has no business telling any woman what her health care choices are.
2. Protecting the environment/diversifying the Wyoming economy.
3. Keeping public lands in public hands.
4. Freedom of reproductive health care choices for women.
5. Protecting K-12 education, including finding a more stable funding base.
Detriments: more things can be accomplished.
Judiciary committee
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.
2016
Chestek's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Healthcare Costs I would clearly and enthusiastically accept the federal funding for expanded Medicaid. There are many good reasons for this:
Seizure of public lands I would strongly oppose any effort that would make it possible, or easier, to transfer public lands to private interests. The Minimum Wage If we could put more money into the hands of more workers, they would spend that money, increasing the demand for products and services. That increased demand creates jobs for those who make the products and provide the services. Study after study proves that as worker pay increases and the middle class expands, everybody does well, even those at the top of the economic pyramid. It is no coincidence that our most prosperous times in recent history (the 1950s through the early 1970s) coincided with the era of the largest and strongest middle class. I therefore strongly support increasing the minimum wage. It is good for the workers, it creates job, and is ultimately good for the economy. Domestic violence and sexual assault I would have supported the proposed legislation creating a speedier and more effective remedy for victims of stalking or sexual assault. My wife is a volunteer for the SAFE project so I am well aware of the need for this legislation, and would strongly support it.[6] |
” |
| —Ken Chestek[7] | ||
Campaign finance summary
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.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Wyoming scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Wyoming State Legislature was in session from February 12 to March 8.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Wyoming State Legislature was in session from January 10 to March 3.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 |
Officeholder Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 15, 2022
- ↑ Wyoming Legislature, "House District 13: Representative Ken Chestek," accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "2016 Official General Election Results," accessed November 29, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Candidate Roster," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "2016 Official Primary Election Results," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Chestek for House, "Issues," accessed October 3, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cathy Connolly (D) |
Wyoming House of Representatives District 13 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
