GREEN RIVER - Perhaps the youngest state candidate in Wyoming this year is headed to Cheyenne after Democrat Joe Barbuto narrowly defeated Tony Herrera in the House District 48 primary election Tuesday night.

The 25-year-old Barbuto, making his first run for a state house seat, won by just 67 votes over the 38-year-old Herrera in what was billed as Sweetwater County's battle of the young guns.

In this election, two of the three contested house district races in southwest and western Wyoming were decided in the primary, barring a challenge by an independent or Republican in November's general election.

In Riverton's House District 55 Republican primary, voters chose to return incumbent David Miller to Cheyenne for a fifth term after he defeated two challengers by a large margin.

And in House District 22, another newcomer, ecological consultant Charles Stough of Pinedale, won handily over former Alpine Mayor Donn Wooden by more than 300 votes.

In heavily Democratic Sweetwater County and a small part of Fremont County, Barbuto received 468 votes to Herrera's 401.

The two Democrats, both of Rock Springs, were seeking the seat left vacant this year by Rep. Marty Martin, who is running for the open Senate District 12 seat.

Herrera, a soda ash worker at FMC Corp. and a veteran, served as a lobbyist the past four years for the AFL-CIO and the United Steel Workers Union.

Barbuto is a familiar face in county and state politics. He served as a paid staffer for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in Wyoming earlier this year. The Southwest Counseling employee also served as statewide campaign coordinator for 2002 U.S. House candidate Ron Akin.

In northwest Wyoming's HD 22 race, Stough trounced Wooden, a 67-year old real estate broker and former five-term mayor of Alpine, by 344 votes. Stough received 884 votes, Wooden 540.

Both candidates were making their first bids for the state seat left open by Rep. Monte Olsen of Daniel, who did not seek re-election.

Stough, a 46-year-old corporate officer for Two Bears Ecological Consulting in Pinedale, will face Democrat Jim Roscoe of Wilson in November's general election. Roscoe ran unopposed in the primary.

In HD 55, Miller easily defeated challengers Larry Bauman and William Russell in the Republican primary. The district represents most of Riverton in central Fremont County.

The 55-year-old Miller, a geologist, has served eight years in the Wyoming House. Bauman, 58, a former Riverton city employee who is now a freelance geologist, was making his first run for a state seat.

The 36-year-old Russell is a former Riverton school board member who works as a consulting engineer and general contractor. He was also making his first attempt for a state House seat.

Miller received 706 votes, Russell 362 and Bauman 270.

Contact Jeff Gearino at (307) 875-5359 or gearino@tribcsp.com