Drafted for the legislature and the convention

Trepidation.

"It has crossed my mind," Nathan Winters told the Independent Record from the floor of the Republican Convention in Cleveland on Monday.

Winters is one of three Hot Springs men to serve as national delegates this week and in the run up to politic's biggest event in decades, he's heard a lot of talk about the potential for violence in the streets. But the First Baptist Church Minister and House District 28 Representative took a thoughtful pause to find the words.

"The thing is, that has overwhelmed me, is that no matter how challenging the obstacle, that's when you must stand up for your principles."

A bit of a row ensued and the dozens of Colorado delegates, sitting alongside the Wyoming delegation, stood up and left the convention floor in protest Monday afternoon. The Dump Trump coalition had failed to get the votes needed to earn a roll call vote from the party on a rule change and so a parade of cowboy hats (the Colorado delegation all wore them) left the hall in a parade of sorts.

It was the culmination of a day of bickering and inquiry among thousands of party loyalists gathered to officially nominate their party's presumptive presidential nominee: Donald Trump. Looking around the floor at it all, Winters was circumspect.

"To see politics in action like this, it has become clear to me that if you know who you are and what you believe, no matter what you stand for, you're going to be just fine," he said.

Winters, who grew up in Cheyenne, pursued what he called an opportunity to serve in a church in Thermopolis.

"It's been 10 and a half years now and I feel very blessed to be back in Wyoming."

He made his start in politics in Hot Springs County attending Republican Committee meetings. Soon he was elected as Vice-Chair and eventually as Chair.

"So when Lorraine Quarberg decided to retire from the House it was my job to recruit candidates to run for that position."

He said he began reaching out to people he thought were capable of doing the job but he kept hearing a familiar answer.

"A lot of people asked me to run," he said.

That was four years ago.

"As far as being a delegate, I was one of the chairmen of the Platform Committee and a number of people asked if I was willing to be an alternate delegate and I kept saying, 'no' but after a while I realized that this is one of the most important conventions since 1976 with Reagan and Ford. So I ran and came in third (making him a delegate) and I was really honored and I mean to do my job in an honorable manner - it's quite a responsibility," he said.

See page A8 for stories on Jim Collins and Charles Curley.