Lead singer of Southern Fryed cuts long hair, hides…

Many people may know Exie Brown as “Russ,” the lead singer of the popular country band Southern Fryed, but in his new identity as a candidate for the Wyoming legislature, he has shed his long, flowing locks and covered his sleeve tattoos with a jacket.

He is challenging veteran incumbent Rep. Landon Brown (R-Cheyenne) for the House 9th District seat in the Republican primary this August.

The main photo on Exie Brown’s candidate page shows him cutting off most of his long, golden locks and trading in his cut-off-sleeve shirt for a chic haircut and suit. He said this reflects his approach when working on the business side of his band and his other small business.

He also said that he had already planned to get his hair cut before deciding to run for parliament.

Although it sounds like living a semi-rock lifestyle as the lead singer of a regionally known band, Exie Brown said that running the band’s business and planning concerts and performances can be a surprising amount of work.

He said the demanding job takes about 30 hours a week and involves dealing with talent buyers and decision makers, negotiating contracts and shows, organizing travel logistics and managing lighting and technical setup at shows.

“There’s a lot more to the music industry than just what people see on stage,” he said. “What people see in terms of the performance on stage and the entertainment we provide to the fans is only about 10 to 15 percent of the music industry that I’m involved with.”

The Testerman Problem

Exie Brown said he had already seriously considered running for the legislature because of his opponent’s voting record, but was finally convinced after Landon Brown testified in court in May on behalf of Gabriel Testerman, a former Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper convicted of first-degree sexual assault.

Landon Brown asked the judge to give a relatively lenient sentence.

Exie Brown believes this is a symbol of a long series of misjudgments by his opponent.

“That’s one thing that people bring up when I go door to door,” he said. “They say, ‘We’re not going to vote for a guy who supports a convicted rapist.'”

Landon Brown has since publicly apologized for that action and said he also apologized directly to Testerman’s victims, who accepted his apology. It was a mistake that will haunt him until his death, he said.

If he could go back in time, Landon Brown would be more likely to stick to an earlier letter he sent to the judge asking for a “just verdict.” He also said Testerman’s attorney “goaded” him into making that statement.

“I’ve definitely learned and grown from that mistake,” Landon Brown said. “I think it takes a lot of courage for someone to stand up and not only admit when they’re wrong but also accept the penalty for it, which is what the public perception has been for me for some time.”

Who is Landon Brown?

Landon Brown is seeking a fifth term after being first elected in 2016. He said if re-elected, it would likely be his last term in the House.

“I have made a name for myself as a balanced legislator,” he said.

Landon Brown said he has considered resigning but has not found an adequate replacement. He fears that the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a group of right-leaning Republican lawmakers, could take the lead.

“I think if I step down now, there’s a good chance the Freedom Caucus will find someone to fill that position,” he said.

Landon Brown is a prominent member of the Wyoming Caucus, a group of Republican lawmakers who oppose the Freedom Caucus’ efforts.

During his final term in office, Landon Brown passed legislation that provided firefighters with annual cancer screenings as part of their workers’ compensation insurance and awarded Purple Star honors to schools that took special measures to support students with military backgrounds.

He also tried to pass a bill in 2023 that would have lowered and expanded the sales tax base, an effort he plans to continue if re-elected. He said the bill would have lowered the average tax payment residents make to government services but expanded the number of items taxed.

“This is one of the things we need to do to stop this up and down revenue problem in our state,” he said. “The only way to fix this volatility is to get our tax structure in order.”

On property taxes, Landon Brown said the state should pause any future reform efforts until it knows the impact of changes made during the 2024 legislative session.

Legislation was passed during the session that caps annual tax increases at 4% and grants tax exemptions to certain groups of people. After studying the issue over the next two to three years, he said he would support significant changes that could result in significant property tax cuts.

“We’re obviously not the only ones in the country having property tax issues right now, so I think we can learn a lot from this,” he said. “We’re certainly in a position where we have to take a look at at least a year at the damage we’ve done to ourselves and to our citizens’ wallets.”

Still to do

If re-elected, Landon Brown would like to continue his work on literacy in early childhood. In his opinion, although significant progress has been made in the past five years, there is still potential for further improvement.

He also wants to ensure steady funding for the state’s roads, which are about $600 million behind on maintenance. It’s an issue that Landon Brown can devote significant effort to as chairman of the House Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee.

“We have to do something about it,” he said.

Landon Brown didn’t have much to say about his opponent, other than that he was disappointed that Exie had never contacted him directly about his voting habits or ever engaged in politics until the start of this campaign.

“I’m frustrated that he accuses me of not being a representative of the people,” Landon Brown said. “For him to accuse me of something and not see me as a representative of the people, I can tell you that I have represented the vast majority of the people who email me from my district.”

“To come into the scene and say he knows better than me is a little frustrating considering I’ve been experiencing this for eight years.”

Exie Brown’s politics align with those of most members of the Freedom Caucus. Landon Brown said that if the Freedom Caucus takes over the legislature, he would be OK with it because the people would decide and then see what they voted for.

“You’re going to see a significant reduction in the state of Wyoming’s spending on social services,” said Landon Brown. “I think the people of the state of Wyoming are going to quickly realize the damage that the Freedom Caucus folks can do to our state and how cruel their policy decisions can actually be to us.”

Who is Exie Brown?

Exie Brown has lived in Wyoming since 2000 and is a retired veteran of the US Air Force and the Wyoming Air National Guard. In addition to the band, he also runs his own painting company.

“I think all of these highlights together helped prepare me for my role in the legislature,” he said.

Exie Brown said he was unhappy with various votes Brown has made over the years, including an early version of a bill banning transgender women from participating in female youth sports in Wyoming when it was being considered in committee. Brown later voted for the bill before it became law.

“These are things that voters were not happy with in this area,” said Exie Brown.

He also pointed to Brown’s efforts in 2021, try and convince Governor Mark Gordon asked for the admission of Afghan refugees, a request that Gordon ultimately rejected.

“Given this past and his past record of poor judgment and poor decisions, it is time that we need a change here in the 9th District and in the state of Wyoming,” said Exie Brown.

Exie Brown said if elected, property taxes will be one of his biggest focuses. He believes the property tax relief passed last session was more of a band-aid than a permanent solution and that every Wyoming resident should receive relief.

“I think we can do more than just convince certain individuals and groups to get this tax relief,” said Exie Brown. “We need to be able to provide good, long-term tax relief to all of our citizens.”

He also wants to advocate for free school choice and limit the growth of the state, which he believes should not grow faster than average wages.

In the energy sector, Exie Brown wants to fight against government regulation to promote the growth of the sector.

The quarter

Exie Brown is convinced that his opponent does not meet the demands of the voters in his district.

“I felt like we weren’t always well represented in this district,” he said.

In the 2022 Republican primaries, Landon Brown easily defeated both of his opponents.

Exie Brown said this was largely due to the significant campaign contributions he received from special interest groups, the fact that his two opponents split the votes against him, and the fact that Democrats switched party affiliations and voted for Brown as Republicans.

Exie Brown believes the latter problem will now be completely resolved, as a new law comes into force that brings forward the deadline for changing party affiliation by several months.

“I think my chances are pretty good,” he said.

Although Exie Brown said that his opponent’s overall electoral performance was not particularly impressive and that his support was dwindling, Landon Brown would still have won even if all the people who voted for his opponents had combined their votes for a single candidate.

He won the 2020 and 2018 elections unopposed after beating his opponents by comfortable margins in the 2016 election.

“It is clear that my district fully supports my style of politics and my transparency and honesty,” said Landon Brown.

Leo Wolfson can be reached at [email protected].