Following the resignation of Ed Buchanan as Wyoming's Secretary of State, it was unclear who would serve as the interim Secretary, until the newly-elected Secretary of State is sworn in next January.

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Now that question is answered, as Governor Mark Gordon has appointed Karl Allred as the Secretary of State for Wyoming.

That's according to a press release from Governor Gordon's office.

Ed Buchanan, the former Secretary of State, resigned from his position when he accepted a position as the District Court Judge for the Eighth Judicial District.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this appointment from Governor Gordon,” Secretary Buchanan previously said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of the Eighth Judicial District and will work diligently to uphold the high standards of the judiciary. It is a privilege to serve Wyoming and my fellow elected officials as Secretary of State. I would like to assure our citizens that I am committed to fulfilling my duties prior to assuming the bench, both to ensure a smooth and secure election cycle and to finalize the many projects integral to the office."

Read More: Governor Gordon Appoints Ed Buchanan to Wyoming District Court Judge

Chuck Gray when the August primary, defeating Tara Nethercott to move on to the November election, which will decide who Wyoming's new Secretary of State will be.

Earlier this month, the Wyoming Republican Party wrote a letter to Buchanan, asking him not to resign.

"In our view, elections are one of the most important functions performed by the Wyoming Secretary of State," the letter read. "Most incoming Secretaries of State have almost two years to prepare for their first general election. However, if you resign in mid-September when there is an election 6 weeks later, it may be setting your appointed successor up to fail. We know that this is not your desire or intent. However, the people of Wyoming placed their trust in you to perform one of the most important jobs in a representational government and we ask that you see the State through the election process. The team you have created is your own and you have built it over many years. Any successor appointed would not take office until 4 weeks before election day and does not know your team members and has never worked with any of them. It is difficult to imagine who would want to assume the role on such short notice. Further, when Governor Gordon chose you for this judicial role, he knew you held one of the most important jobs in the State. That is often the case with filling any position -- the best candidates have a job they must wrap up before they can move on to a new position. Gov. Gordon knew this when he selected you and the courts will manage if you need to remain in your current role until general election canvassing is complete. Under the circumstances, on behalf of the Wyoming Republican voters who elected you, we feel compelled to respectfully ask you to remain in office until the general election process is complete and assure a smooth transition for your successor. Given the importance and urgency of this request, we will be posting this letter on our website in an effort to keep Wyoming voters informed."

Read More: WY Republican Party Asks Secretary of State to not Resign

Governor Gordon chose Allred over two other candidates - Marti Halverson and Bryan Miller. He noted that, now, two out of the five elected constitutional officers are unelected appointees, resulting from the existing statutory process for replacing statewide elected officials.

Allred is a resident of Uinta County, in Wyoming. He will serve in this role until January 2, 2023 when the new Secretary of State is sworn in.

“I have selected Mr. Allred from the candidates forwarded to me by Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne,” Governor Gordon said. “We will coordinate with Mr. Allred to arrange for his swearing in as soon as possible.”

Code Of The West: Wyoming State Code of Ethics

"The Code of the West" was declared the official state code of Wyoming, and the act was signed into law on March 3rd, 2010. Wyoming is the first state to adopt a code of ethics. The legislation chose ten ethics derived from the book "Cowboy Ethics" by James P. Owen

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