The 26 Republican candidates who want to replace the late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas shared a lot of common beliefs at a televised forum from Casper College on Sunday:

* Wolves: Bad.

* Gun control: Bad.

* Abortion: Bad.

* Free trade: Good.

* No Child Left Behind: Pretty good.

* Iraq and Afghanistan: Stay.

* Endangered Species Act: Go.

* Global warming: Debatable.

* Social Security: Complex.

* Health care: Really complex.

* Illegal immigrants: Go to jail, then back to Mexico.

* Scooter Libby: Do not go to jail.

Three of these 26 - some with vast state and federal experience, some with none - and four others not at the forum will be chosen by the Wyoming Republican Party's 71-member central committee at a special meeting at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Casper beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The four who did not attend were Rep. Dave Edwards of Douglas, former Libertarian candidate for U.S. House Thom Rankin of Casper, Teton County GOP Chairman Joe Schloss and Jeanna Wright of Sheridan.

After the party chooses its three, Democrat Gov. Dave Freudenthal must choose one of the three by June 25.

On Sunday, the forum sponsors - the Wyoming GOP, the Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming Public Radio and Wyoming Public Television - divided the field of candidates into four groups, which were sequestered until their turn on the stage at the Gertrude Krampert Theater.

Each of the four half-hour sessions consisted of questions from Wyoming Public Television's Geoff O'Gara, Star-Tribune editor Clark Walworth, and Wyoming Public Radio's Bob Beck. After the questions and answers, the media panelists peppered the candidates with single words or phrases and a 20-second word association response.

Party Chairman Fred Parady moderated the event, starting with an homage to Thomas, who died at the age of 74 from complications from leukemia on June 4.

"Whoever is chosen will have some very big shoes to fill," Parady said. "Sen. Thomas was a devoted husband, a very committed family man and just an all-around great guy, and truly a friend to all of Wyoming. He always put Wyoming first, and he never let Washington dictate his priorities."

Many of the candidates pledged to continue Thomas's work, such as state Sen. John Barrasso of Casper, who would support the renamed Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act.

Each group had the politically experienced, such as Tom Sansonetti, former assistant attorney general of the U.S. Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, who returned to Wyoming two years ago to practice law in Cheyenne.

Each group also had the nonexperienced, such as Ben Collins Jr., a minister who moved from Tennessee to Casper last year.

Nearly all described themselves as fiscally and socially conservative, especially on matters such as restraining spending to curb the rising national debt and deficits.

Former legislator and state Department of Agriculture Director Ron Micheli said the federal government would be wise to adopt some of Wyoming's practices, such as a balanced budget amendment, a line-item veto for the executive branch, and requiring all amendments relate only to the bill at hand instead of allowing amendments with funding for pet projects.

Asked about keeping military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, all candidates said setting a timeline for withdrawal was a bad idea.

Candidates had several responses to questions about rural health care.

Nora Marie Lewis of Basin wanted more nurses so people wouldn't need to travel to Billings for care, she said. "We feel the solution should be on the local level."

Brian Scott Gamroth said Indian health care is underfunded and mismanaged and beset by fraud. "You don't throw more money at the problem; you need to address the problem."

Wheatland lawyer and 2006 gubernatorial candidate Ray Hunkins said he would support laws to enhance medical savings accounts and better Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to rural health care providers.

On immigration reform, the candidates favored strengthening the U.S.-Mexico border, but were reluctant to advocate punishment for employers who hired illegal immigrants.

"We need to make absolutely sure those who are working here are legal," said Dennis Fox of Wolf.

Some issues received "yes-maybe" responses, such as global warming.

Political newcomer Nate Stratton of Casper and former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead said global warming might be real, but it isn't caused by human activity.

Likewise, Larry French, a GOP activist from Powell, said emotional responses have usurped science in the global warming debate, and picking on carbon dioxide emissions as the cause is wrong.

Candidates differed on tort reform, such as placing caps on noneconomic - "pain and suffering" - damages.

Collins favored tort reform because too many people are getting excess amounts of money for trivial lawsuits.

Sen. Cale Case of Lander said Wyoming voters rejected amending the state's constitution after the Legislature voted to put it on the ballot in 2004.

Rep. Colin Simpson - "I'm to the right of my father (Al) but to the left of my wife (Debbie)" - of Cody said tort reform depends on whether people believe in the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence guaranteeing the right to a jury trial.

While candidates favored multiple use of public lands, Simpson and several others sided with Thomas, who was working the week before he died on a bill to stop oil and gas leasing in the 400,000-acre Wyoming Range in the western part of the state.

Candidates generally liked the No Child Left Behind Act, but they said the federal government exercised too much control over what should be a state responsibility.

Some candidates had no idea what the panelists were talking about.

Collins didn't know what earmarking is.

Jack Sapp didn't know who Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is.

And some things or people - including President Bush - weren't mentioned by anybody.

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@casperstartribune.net.