Democratic state lawmaker James Byrd of Cheyenne will officially announce his candidacy for Wyoming Secretary of State during an event at the Cheyenne Depot tomorrow (Thursday) at 11:30 a.m.

"I think that it's time," Byrd told KGAB in an exclusive interview Wednesday. "I'm finishing up on ten years in the Legislature and, unlike some of my colleagues, I really believe that your effectiveness does decrease at a certain point."

"I don't want to be a fixture," the 63-year-old added. "I still have the passion, but I'm ready to turn the reigns over to somebody else and see if they can put a different spin on it."

Byrd says he's running for Secretary of State to "maintain the legacy" that his predecessors have established.

"There's really nothing wrong with the Secretary of State's Office, it's functioning very well," said Byrd. "You've got to realize that coming in as a new manager and make sure that you're carrying through those things that are working, that you're building those up and keeping those forward, and then you're looking for those new avenues where you can make things better."

Byrd says one thing he does want to focus on is making Wyoming more attractive to business on the corporation side.

"Wyoming consistently ranks in the top ten of those four regulations in statute, but all you've got to do is walk outside the door and see that they're not kicking the door down to get here," said Byrd. "You've got to ask yourself why."

"I think it's really the way that we apply those applications and the way we approach those companies," he added.

Byrd is the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring for Secretary of State. Secretary Ed Murray announced last month that he wouldn't be seeking reelection.

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