Ed Murray (Wyoming politician)

Ed Murray
21st Secretary of State of Wyoming
In office
January 5, 2015 – February 9, 2018
Governor Matt Mead
Preceded by Max Maxfield
Succeeded by Karen Wheeler (Acting)
Personal details
Born (1958-03-28) March 28, 1958
Laramie County, Wyoming,
U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Caren Murray
Children 4
Education University of Arizona (BA)
University of Wyoming (JD)

Ed Murray (born March 28, 1958) is the former Secretary of State of Wyoming. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Murray was considering running for governor of Wyoming in the 2018 election,[1][2] but did not enter the race. His decision came after multiple women accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct. [3][4]

Early life and education

Murray is a fourth-generation Wyoming native. One of eight children, he was born and raised in Laramie County in a family that was active in the Cheyenne community.[5] He graduated from Central High School in 1976 and received an undergraduate degree in business administration with dual majors in finance and real estate from the University of Arizona.[6] Murray graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law.[7]

Career

Murray is a real estate investor and developer. He owns Murray Investment and Development which contained 16 business entities as of 2014.[8][9] Murray is an advocate of economic development in Wyoming, in 2016 arguing against an increase in state businesses' annual filing fee.[10][11][12]

2014 Wyoming Secretary of State election

In March 2014, Secretary of State Max Maxfield announced that he would not seek reelection. Murray declared his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination in April. He outspent all primary opponents and won by only 1,632 votes with less than 37% of the vote. Murray then defeated Libertarian Party nominee Howard "Kit" Carson and Constitution Party nominee Jennifer Young in the general election, receiving 77% of the vote in a state widely known to support Republican candidates.[13][14]

Wyoming Secretary of State

In his official capacity as Secretary of State Murray is Wyoming's Chief Business Registrar, Chief Elections Officer, Securities Commissioner, and Notaries Public Commissioner. Secretary Murray chairs the State Canvassing Board and serves with four other statewide elected officials on the State Loan and Investment Board, the Board of Land Commissioners and the State Building Commission. Because Wyoming has no lieutenant governor, the secretary of state serves as acting governor if the governor is absent from the state or becomes incapable of serving.[9]

In the summer of 2016, Secretary Murray announced the launch of a business service which allows for the electronic filing of official documents and retrieval of records that were previously available only upon request. As a result the time to process a business filing decreased from five days to as low as thirty minutes.[15][16][17][18]

Murray criticized the formation of President Donald Trump's Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity as an example of federal overreach into state sovereignty, and when it was officially dissolved in 2018 he said he was pleased. He was one of the majority of secretaries of state who refused to comply with the Commission's request for voters' personal data.[19]

Murray resigned on February 9, 2018, in the wake of decades-old sexual abuse allegations against him.[20]

Personal life

Murray and his wife Catherine ("Caren") are the parents of four adult daughters. Murray is Catholic.[21]

In December 2017 a woman accused Murray of sexually assaulting her in 1982, when she was an intern at a law firm where he was a lawyer. He denied the allegation.[22] In January 2018 another woman accused him of sexual misconduct against her on New Year's Eve 1988; he said in a statement that he did not remember that incident. In the same statement he said he would not run for governor or seek higher office in 2018.[3][4]

Electoral history

Wyoming Secretary of State Republican Primary Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Murray 32,944 36.86
Republican Ed Buchanan 31,312 34.93
Republican Pete Illoway 16,596 18.51
Republican Clark Stith 8,511 9.49
Republican Write-ins 274 0.31
Wyoming Secretary of State Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Murray 119,772 76.58
Constitution Jennifer Young 18,918 12.10
Libertarian Kit Carson 16,858 10.78
Write-ins Write-ins 859 0.55

References

  1. ↑ Hancock, Laura (June 29, 2016). "Lummis not ruling out run for governor". Casper Star-Tribune.
  2. ↑ Funk, Joel (September 20, 2017). "GOP candidate for Wyoming governor remains unclear". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Rosenfeld, Arno (January 24, 2018). "Second woman accuses Murray of sexual misconduct; Secretary of state won't seek reelection or higher office". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Wilson, Reid (January 24, 2018). "Wyoming official won't run for governor after harassment allegations". The Hill. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Barbara Murray Obituary". Schrader, Aragon &Jacoby Funeral Home. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  6. ↑ Stottlemyre, Matthew (June 30, 2014). "Business man running for top state business office". Gillette News-Record. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Bellinghiere: Murray an excellent choice". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  8. ↑ Hancock, Laura. "Ed Murray thinks business experience will help in Wyoming secretary of state bid". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "About the Secretary". Wyoming Secretary of State's Office. Wyoming Secretary of State's Office. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  10. ↑ Orr, Becky (October 1, 2017). "What's right and wrong with downtown? Day 1, Downtown Cheyenne: Ready for renewal?". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Cheyenne. Retrieved March 27, 2017. (subscription required)
  11. ↑ Orr, Becky (April 20, 2011). "Downtown getting giant cherub mural". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. (subscription required)
  12. ↑ Graham, Andrew (February 9, 2017). "Murray calls fees bill reckless; rouses House leaders' ire". WyoFile. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Ed Murray Elected Secretary of State". KGWN. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Murray will be Wyoming secretary of state". Casper Star-Tribune Online. The Associated Press. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  15. ↑ "New online biz tools will cut red tape". Wyoming Business Report. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  16. ↑ Murphy, Matt (July 12, 2016). "Secretary of State now offers business filings online". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. (subscription required)
  17. ↑ "SOS Announces New Online Services for Businesses". Sheridan Media. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Public can search more business, nonprofit documents on state site". Casper Star Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  19. ↑ Morton, Tom (January 4, 2018). "Wyoming Secretary of State Applauds the End of Federal Eleciton Commission". k2radio.com. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  20. ↑ Sec. of State Murray resigns amid sex allegations, Jackson Hole News & Guide, John Spina Feb 9, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  21. ↑ Hancock, Laura (June 27, 2015). "Pope's environment letter divides Wyoming Catholics". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  22. ↑ Rosenfeld, Arno (December 14, 2017). "Woman says Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager". Casper Star-Tribune.
Political offices
Preceded by
Max Maxfield		 Secretary of State of Wyoming
2015–2018		 Succeeded by
Karen Wheeler
Acting
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