Wyoming currently has 23 counties, but some Colorado residents hope to make that 24 – is there room for one more?
Weld County, Colorado is located in the northeast corner of the state to the south of Laramie County. Its estimated population in 2019 was over 300 thousand people – more than half the entire population of Wyoming.
The Colorado county is also the most agricultural in the entire state, being its leading producer of cattle, grain, and sugar beets. This makes Weld County the richest agricultural county in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and the fourth richest in the nation overall.
And it’s strongly Republican – the county hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1936.
Weld County would probably be right at home in Wyoming. And they agree.
A new effort aims for Weld County, Colorado to become Weld County, Wyoming. But the effort has grown beyond a simple online petition – “Weld County Wyoming” has a professional website, complete with donation solicitations and a call for volunteers.
The website states:
This initiative is to place a measure on the November 2021 ballot. The voters of Weld County will vote as to whether to instruct Weld County Commissioners to engage and explore the annexation of Weld County with the State of Wyoming’s Legislature.
There isn’t much other information on the website, funded by “a group of Weld County citizens who have a common desire to maintain their way of life.” However, their media page includes several articles highlighting a grievance against a “blue wave” of Democratic candidates in Colorado and opposition to gun control measures currently being considered in the Colorado Legislature.
Even if the effort receives the crowdsourcing and financial support it requires, it’s unknown if the Wyoming Legislature would even consider accepting Weld County – or if it’s logistically possible.
It would be an unprecedented move in the histories of Wyoming and the United States.
Adding Weld County would mean doubling the state’s population, which would mean Wyoming would be in contention for another congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. That means the United States Congress would have to weigh in on the proposed annexation – if Wyoming decides it wants to move forward
In addition, the motivation seems to be largely on the Colorado side of the border. If there is similar momentum on the Wyoming side of the border, social media is largely silent on that front.
Weld County will decide its own future first, If the effort is successful, the issue may make its appearance on the ballot in November 2021.
