Pine Bluffs Mayor Chosen To Fill Rep. John Eklund's Seat

After leaders from the Laramie GOP sent it three nominees Saturday, the Laramie County Commission chose Pine Bluffs Mayor Justin Fornstrom to fill the legislative seat that belonged to the late Republican state Rep. John Eklund.

Eklund died Nov. 14 after a long battle with cancer. Political allies and opponents alike grieved his loss, calling him a thoughtful lawmaker, a gentle family man, and a champion of Wyoming agriculture.

Fornstrom, whom the commission chose from a three-person pool that also included Sharon Fain and Ron Rabou, gave Cowboy State Daily a list of nascent plans for his upcoming service toward House District 10.

Chief of those is “just trying to do the best I can for my community and my district and my state – and to do it in a way that would make John proud,” Fornstrom said in a Monday phone interview.

“I always found (Eklund) to be a guy that, you know, was honest and always engaged and always liked to ask questions and see what you had going on,” said Fornstrom.

The rest of Fornstrom’s plans aren’t as well-defined, he noted, since he has what he called both a learning and a listening curve ahead. 

A farmer and a businessman, Fornstrom grew up in Pine Bluffs and earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Wyoming.

Prior to serving as mayor, he spent 16 years as Laramie County Fire District 5 president.  

Fornstrom said he’d like to focus on the budget in the upcoming session, which opens Feb. 9 in Cheyenne. The legislature’s key objective during even-numbered years is to pass a statewide budget.

He said he’s not ready to announce a budgetary cut in any one area, but he has been following the Joint Appropriations Committee’s meetings this month. The committee just started week two of its four-week budget-crafting marathon.

He’ll serve on whatever committee the House would prefer, though he wouldn’t mind serving on the House Corporations or Agriculture Committee, he said.

Fornstrom said he will vacate his mayoral seat, which he’s occupied for four-and-a-half years.

He also plans to run for election in 2026.

‘Well That’s Obviously A Hot Topic’

Fornstrom acknowledged that property tax cuts are “obviously a hot topic.”

Many local governments, including leaders in Laramie and Platte County, have lamented a 25% residential property tax cut the legislature passed in 2025, as a drain on local services like sheriff’s departments, ambulance or libraries.

“I think it’s a really tricky issue,” said Fornstrom, citing his experience serving both a town and a fire district.

“I want to listen and hear what people have to say – but I guess I have concerns about the direction we’re heading, and what that means to the funding of schools and special districts, and communities,” he said. “I think we really need to dig in and think about what those impacts are, and how these various organizations are going to deal with that reduced revenue.”

Property taxes feed local governments and schools.

Tighter policies around sexual content in library books and policies addressing increased opportunities for storing spent nuclear fuel are two more hot topics going into next year’s session.

On the former, Fornstrom said he’s going in new to the issue and hoping to listen to all sides.

On the latter, he voiced cautious optimism that local governments could host nuclear industries as they prefer — as long as spent fuel storage can be proven safe.

“The waste issue tends to be a fairly local issue, I think,” said Fornstrom.

Your Priority Going In

After helping to pass a budget, Fornstrom’s priority is to back Wyoming’s agriculture sector, natural resources, and support “legacy industries” in the state, he said.

It’s better to do that by pursuing “appropriate tax structures” than grant processes, he said.

“I think it’s (about) always remembering what they’ve brought to the table,” he said, “and any way we can be supportive of that in terms of keeping the burden on them reduced, to the point that they want to continue to operate in our state.”  

Dallas Tyrrell, State GOP Treasurer, praised the commission’s selection in a Saturday text to Cowboy State Daily, saying he’s "super excited” about Fornstrom’s appointment.

“Justin has been a tireless worker for the people of Pine Bluffs, always showing up, putting in the effort, and putting his community first,” wrote Tyrrell. “His dedication and work ethic are exactly what we need, and we are excited to have him in the House. I’m confident he’ll continue to fight for the people he’s served so well.”

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.