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Merav Ben-David

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Merav Ben-David
Image of Merav Ben-David

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Tel-Aviv University, 1984

Graduate

Tel-Aviv University, 1988

Ph.D

University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 1996

Personal
Religion
Jewish
Profession
Professor

Merav Ben-David (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Wyoming House of Representatives to represent District 46. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Dr. Merav Ben-David was born in Rehovot, Israel, and she lived in Israel for the first half of her life. After two years of military service, she attended Tel-Aviv University for her undergraduate and graduate studies, earning a bachelor's degree in biology in 1984 and a master's degree in zoology in 1988. She obtained her Ph.D. in wildlife management from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 1996. Ben-David began working as a professor at the University of Wyoming in 2000. She has also worked as the chairperson of the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming, as a wildlife ecologist, as an author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and as a wildlife researcher and tour guide. Ben-David received the Barrett-Hamilton distinguished ecologist award from the University of Manitoba in 2012 and the Excellence in Wildlife Education Award from The Wildlife Society in 2016, and she became a Wildlife Fellow in 2017.[1][2]

Elections

2022

See also: Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 46

Incumbent Ocean Andrew defeated Merav Ben-David in the general election for Wyoming House of Representatives District 46 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Ocean Andrew
Ocean Andrew (R) Candidate Connection
 
68.6
 
2,642
Image of Merav Ben-David
Merav Ben-David (D)
 
31.2
 
1,201
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
7

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,850
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 46

Merav Ben-David advanced from the Democratic primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 46 on August 16, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Merav Ben-David
Merav Ben-David
 
98.6
 
213
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.4
 
3

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 216
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 46

Incumbent Ocean Andrew defeated Richard Lennox in the Republican primary for Wyoming House of Representatives District 46 on August 16, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Ocean Andrew
Ocean Andrew Candidate Connection
 
75.4
 
1,816
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Richard Lennox
 
24.0
 
578
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
14

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,408
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2020

See also: United States Senate election in Wyoming, 2020

United States Senate election in Wyoming, 2020 (August 18 Republican primary)

United States Senate election in Wyoming, 2020 (August 18 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Wyoming

Cynthia Lummis defeated Merav Ben-David in the general election for U.S. Senate Wyoming on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Lummis (R)
 
72.8
 
198,100
Image of Merav Ben-David
Merav Ben-David (D) Candidate Connection
 
26.8
 
72,766
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
1,071

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 271,937
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming on August 18, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Merav Ben-David
Merav Ben-David Candidate Connection
 
40.3
 
9,584
Image of Yana Ludwig
Yana Ludwig Candidate Connection
 
20.7
 
4,931
Image of Nathan Wendt
Nathan Wendt Candidate Connection
 
17.7
 
4,212
Image of Ken Casner
Ken Casner
 
9.0
 
2,139
Image of Rex Wilde
Rex Wilde
 
7.9
 
1,888
Image of James Kirk DeBrine
James Kirk DeBrine Candidate Connection
 
3.6
 
865
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
173

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 23,792
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming on August 18, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Cynthia Lummis
Cynthia Lummis
 
59.7
 
63,511
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Robert Short
 
12.7
 
13,473
Image of Bryan Miller
Bryan Miller
 
10.3
 
10,946
Image of Donna Rice
Donna Rice
 
5.5
 
5,881
Image of R. Mark Armstrong
R. Mark Armstrong Candidate Connection
 
3.7
 
3,904
Image of Joshua Wheeler
Joshua Wheeler
 
3.5
 
3,763
Image of John Holtz
John Holtz Candidate Connection
 
1.7
 
1,820
Image of Devon Cade
Devon Cade
 
1.0
 
1,027
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Michael Kemler
 
0.9
 
985
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Star Roselli
 
0.6
 
627
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.5
 
501

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 106,438
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Merav Ben-David did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia
Released March 16, 2020

Candidate Connection

Merav Ben-David completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ben-David's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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I was born on January 17, 1959, on a family farm in Israel and Joined the Israeli Defense Forces at 18 (1977-1979). I received a BSc in Biology (1982-1984) and MSc in Zoology (1984-1988) from Tel Aviv University. I received my PhD in Wildlife Management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (1990-1996). I was a Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Institute of Arctic Biology (1996-2000) studying the effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on river otters in coastal Alaska. Since 2000, I have been a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Wyoming studying the effects of global change on wildlife. I also trained over 1,000 wildlife professionals over the years. I was the Chief Scientist on an icebreaker expedition in the Arctic Ocean in 2009, the Director of the Program in Ecology (2016-2017) and Chair of the Zoology and Physiology Department (2017-2020). In 2012, I received the Barrett-Hamilton distinguished ecologist award from the University of Manitoba for contributions to polar bear conservation. I won the Excellence in Wildlife Education award from the Wildlife Society in 2016 and became a Wildlife Fellow in 2017. I'm currently the Editor-in-Chief of Wildlife Monographs.
  • Economy and the Environment
  • Equality and Healthcare
  • Education and Jobs
I am a wildlife ecologist who has been studying the various effects of global change (invasive species, logging, pollution, and climate change) on animals (river otters, martens, chipmunks and polar bears). My experience with climate change is both professional and personal. While studying mountain lions in California, my colleagues and I detected the increasing signal of anthropogenic carbon emissions over the past 150 years . I also personally saw vast stretches of the Arctic Ocean free of ice while serving as the chief scientist on an icebreaker cruise in 2009. Since then many of our predictions have materialized and the chance for reversing these effects is diminishing.
Given my experiences, I believe that climate change is the greatest threat to the future of Wyoming . In this case not from the direct effects of rising sea levels or unbearable heat, but as a result of actions taken by other people to curb the rise in greenhouse gases. Wyoming is ranked as one of the 10 safest states in the union with only increases in wildfires as the main threat. The technology to replace coal, oil, and gas with alternative energy sources is advancing in leaps and bounds across much of the planet. When the price of coal, oil, and gas declines below the cost of production, this sector will wane, along with the bulk of Wyoming's revenue. We are watching the beginning as coal mines and coal-fired power plants are closing and our communities are losing residents and loved ones.
I've been inspired by multiple people including Aldo Leopold, Lady Bird (Claudia Alta) Johnson, and Theodore Roosevelt for their contributions to conservation. Ruth Carson's book "Silent Spring" was also an inspiration. I admire supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her work ensuring women's rights.
Through the years and various life experiences as a scientist, an expedition leader, and mentor, I have learned to balance my assertiveness and compassion. I have made multiple personnel and budgetary decisions (on multiple levels) that had implications for the lifetime success of many people. I'm also ready to assume new challenges and learn new skills. I believe these qualities will allow me to succeed in politics as they have in academia.
An elected official is responsible for representing all of their constituents (even those that didn't vote for them). Currently, Wyoming representatives have been reluctant to engage those of us who have differing opinions, which is unfortunate.
My goal is to prepare Wyoming and the rest of the US for a future independent of fossil fuels. I would like to influence our resiliency to climate change while minimizing its effects.
The Six Days War in Israel. I was 7 years old.
Farm hand on our family farm until age 18. After the death of my father (when I was 14) , I managed the farm until I joined the Israeli Defense Forces.
Leonard Cohen - Anthem
I left Israel and moved to the US over 30 years ago. This led to lengthy separations from my family which has been difficult. Thanks to modern communication platforms we are able to maintain our close relationships.
At the risk of repeating myself I believe that climate change is the greatest challenge for our future. It will drive economic development, allocation of resources, and mitigation efforts. In order to develop resiliency to the effects of climate change we will need to reduce our (ballooning) deficit to ensure we have the necessary funds. This will require changes to our tax structure and re-allocation of appropriated funds.
I would like to add a few thoughts based on the global response to COVID-19: 1. We are poorly prepared for a global crisis. Responses have been slow and largely reactive, in some cases without any available data. 2. We have numerous vulnerable members in our communities as a result of income inequality and loss/lack of social safety nets. This restricts our ability to implement action plans and exacerbates the crisis. 3. Our economy is fragile and largely dependent on people's emotions rather than available commodities. Again, this complicates our ability to respond. If we learn anything from the COVID-19 crisis, it should be how to plan for the climate crisis. That one will be even more acute.
The US Senate provides equal representation for all 50 states as each is represented by 2 senators. This ensures that residents of small (and often rural) states have a voice in the legislative process. The role of the Senate in confirming supreme court justices, federal judges and cabinet members is its main power and enables the maintenance of the system of checks and balances in our government. For our government to function properly, however, the Senate rules should be applied equally to both parties. Unfortunately this has not been the case in recent years (e.g., Merrick Garland confirmation) .
In general, having experience in any given field will be beneficial. Therefore, previous experience in government and politics will be beneficial for senators. Nonetheless, given that our greatest future challenge is climate change, senators with science background (and especially climate science) will enhance the ability of the chamber to enact laws that will address this issue.
The filibuster is a mechanism to stall and prevent senators from voting on a bill or confirmation. While it may have been useful in the past, in the current political environment it is a major impediment for passing progressive bills. To quote Senator Warren "For generations the filibuster has been used to block progress, and in recent years, obstruction in the Senate has only gotten worse............ if [Majority Leader] continues to put small-minded partisanship ahead of solving the massive problems facing our country, then we should get rid of the filibuster". I agree.
I expect presidential appointees to exhibit the same level of integrity and qualifications that I would like to see in any other profession. I believe public servants should have the public interest as a priority. Therefore, any indication of self interest will be a red flag that will require thorough investigation. I believe transparency will be key in all confirmation hearings.
Building relationships with other senators (including across the aisle) is not just beneficial but rather imperative. To pass some of the legislation I foresee as necessary we will need cooperation from many members of the House and Senate. Without personal relationship it will be difficult to achieve the changes we will need to enact.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Committee on Environment and Public Works

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Not applicable
I do not believe I have the experience to join the party leadership at this point.
I admire the work conducted by Senator Warren.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 16, 2020
  2. ↑ Ballotpedia's Elections Team, “Email communication with Yoav Magid, Campaign Manager for Merav Ben-David," July 8, 2020


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