Weston County Clerk Michael Tooman resigned Tuesday, three weeks before the primary election and less than two months after a district court judge appointed him to the position.

Tooman stated that he was becoming a focal point for questioning the validity of the election, and the county badly needs a good election. He decided to remove himself from the position to avoid being a distraction.

Background

The clerk’s office in Newcastle has been under significant strain since 2024, when former clerk Becky Hadlock caused an initial ballot miscount that sparked public outcry, a legislative subpoena, several investigations, and multiple criminal charges.

Hadlock resigned in April, one day after she was arrested and charged with two felonies related to her conduct during and after the 2024 general election. In May, Hadlock reached an agreement with prosecutors that reduced one felony to a misdemeanor and dismissed the second charge in exchange for a guilty plea.

Tooman was appointed in June to fill the vacancy until voters selected a new clerk in the 2026 election. However, the process was not without controversy, as a district court judge stepped in after county commissioners failed to make a selection from the three nominees provided by the Weston County Republican Party.

Tooman also withdrew as a candidate from the race, leaving deputy clerk Amber Green running unopposed in the primary election. Green is now serving as interim clerk and has postponed the public testing of election machines scheduled for the day after Tooman’s resignation.

Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.