Wyoming City Councilman’s ‘Hanging Bad Judges’ Comment Sparks Statewide Controversy
Why It Matters
A Wyoming elected official’s remarks about “hanging bad judges” have ignited a statewide debate over political speech, judicial accountability, and the limits of acceptable public discourse. The comments come as Wyoming courts continue to block the state legislature’s efforts to restrict abortion, deepening frustration among conservatives over what many see as an unelected judiciary overriding the will of Wyoming voters.
What Happened
Powell City Councilman Troy Bray sparked controversy after posting a comment on Facebook stating, “The only way Wyoming is going to have freedom is to start hanging bad judges.” Bray made the remark on a Saturday evening in response to a post by state Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, who had shared news about Natrona County District Court Judge Dan Forgey halting enforcement of Wyoming’s “Human Heartbeat Act.”
The new law, which prohibits abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, was paused by Judge Forgey while legal challenges proceed. Forgey cited a January Wyoming Supreme Court ruling that struck down earlier abortion restrictions, finding they conflicted with state residents’ constitutional rights regarding their own health care decisions.
Following media coverage of his remark — including a story by Cowboy State Daily that drew quotes critical of Bray from multiple judges and Powell Mayor John Wetzel — Bray posted a lengthy clarifying statement early Wednesday. He wrote that his comment was “a statement of my beliefs, NOT a threat,” and described Wyoming as having “a broken Judicial system.” Bray added that he is “determined to fix what is wrong in Wyoming … by any means necessary” and would “exhaust every peaceful means I can find.”
By the Numbers
- 500+ Facebook responses generated by Cowboy State Daily‘s coverage of Bray’s original remark, with reactions ranging from sharp criticism to vocal support
- 20 state senators, including former Senate President Dan Dockstader, who voted to kill a House bill that would have subjected mayors and council members to recall
- 3+ separate incidents over several years in which Bray has used charged or threatening language in public forums
- 6 lawyers and gubernatorial appointees involved in Wyoming’s current judicial vetting process, which Bray has publicly criticized as stacking the deck against ordinary voters
A Pattern of Charged Rhetoric
This is not the first time Bray has drawn scrutiny for inflammatory language. In April 2025, he wrote on Facebook that “Violence may not be my first option, or even an option I want, but make no mistake — violence is ALWAYS an option.” During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Bray told a Park County Republican Party meeting there were “power-hungry dictators with an MD behind their name that need to be fired — or executed.”
That same year, Bray sent a state senator a profanity-laced email that drew bipartisan condemnation. Then-House Speaker Eric Barlow and then-Senate President Dockstader called on Bray to resign his precinct committee position within the Park County Republican Party, but Bray declined and the party took no formal action.
Former Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Bill Hill told Cowboy State Daily that Bray “is obviously an idiot and does not deserve public office.” Public reaction was divided, however, with some residents defending Bray’s underlying frustration. “While I wouldn’t say what Troy did, I can see how we got here and feel his disappointment,” Lia Tracy of Cody wrote in response to coverage of the story.
Zoom Out
Bray’s remarks land during a broader national conversation about the boundaries of political speech and the role of an unelected judiciary in overturning laws passed by democratically elected legislatures. Conservatives in multiple states have grown increasingly vocal about what they view as activist judges undermining voters’ ability to shape policy through the ballot box. Wyoming Republicans have also pushed for reforms that would allow voters to directly elect judges rather than relying on the current gubernatorial appointment process.
The controversy also comes as Wyoming continues to grapple with broader governance tensions. Federal workforce reductions have already created uncertainty for Wyoming workers in sectors ranging from forestry to land management, adding to a climate of institutional frustration that critics say is fueling more extreme rhetoric.
What’s Next
Judge Forgey’s order temporarily pausing the Human Heartbeat Act will remain in place while litigation works through the courts. Given the Wyoming Supreme Court’s January ruling striking down prior abortion restrictions, the legal path forward for the heartbeat law remains uncertain.
As for Bray, he faces no formal mechanism for removal under current Wyoming law. A Park County Republican Party resolution he supported — calling for voter-elected judges and an expanded recall process — passed at the party’s February convention, but translating that resolution into enacted legislation would require action by the Wyoming Legislature.