I'm Karyn Chin, and I'm running for Teton County Commission.
I moved to Jackson in 2008, and like so many people do, I fell in love with this place. But more than falling in love with the place, I stayed because I fell in love with this community.
Over the last eighteen years I've had the privilege of seeing Teton County from a lot of different perspectives. I've worked in restaurants. I served as a National Park Ranger. I've organized campaigns, advocated for affordable housing and public transportation, founded Jackson Hole Pride, and spent years helping organizations and community members advocate for the place we all love. I also gave birth to my daughter here, met my wife here, found my chosen family here, and bought my first very unconventional home here.
Those experiences taught me something important: The strength of Teton County has never been the luxury homes or the postcard views.
It's the people.
Every day I see:
The teacher who stays after school to help a struggling student.
The nurse working an extra shift.
The retiree hoping to stay in the place where they’ve built community.
The ski patroller, restaurant server, small business owner, all trying to make a life here.
YOU are the people who make Teton County special.
And today, too many of you are wondering whether you still have a future here.
That's why I'm running.
I'm running because I believe we need to recommit ourselves to the vision our community set years ago in the Comprehensive Plan: Community First, Resort Second.
To me, this isn't just a slogan. It is the vision that first got me, a young person trying to find my footing, to start engaging and advocating for the community I had fallen in love with.
It's a promise that when we make decisions about housing, transportation, economic growth, conservation, or public investment, we'll ask one simple question:
"Does this make it easier or harder for the people who live and work here to build a life?"
For too many years, the answer to this question has been “harder”. This election is about saying “enough”, we need to find a better way.
For me, the solution to our community’s struggles isn’t whether or what we build.
It's about whether our kids can come back after college.
Whether our teachers can afford to stay.
Whether grandparents can remain close to their families.
Whether the people who make this community work can continue calling it home.
We need more housing, yes—but we also need more creativity.
We need to be brave enough to welcome different housing types, support deed-restricted housing, preserve housing, history, and community spaces we already have, and make sure any future growth pays for the impacts it creates instead of shifting those costs onto the rest of the community.
I believe the same philosophy applies to everything else the county commission does as well.
Protecting clean water and wildlife isn't separate from supporting our economy—it's the foundation of what makes Teton County an exceptional place to live and visit.
Improving transportation isn't just about traffic—it's about giving people back time with their families.
Supporting childcare, emergency services, and public health isn't just about budgets—it's investing in the type of services we all depend on.
I also believe this election is about something bigger than any single policy. It's about leadership.
I have been shaped as a leader in the Tetons, and I’m ready to lead us in our next chapter.
If elected, I'll lead the same way I've always tried to serve: by listening first, bringing people together, respecting different viewpoints, relying on good information, and never forgetting who our government is supposed to work for – US!
Twenty years from now, I hope people won't simply say that Teton County became wealthier or became unrecognizable.
I hope they'll say we became stronger.
That we found a way to make room for each other without losing ourselves.
That we protected our public lands, our wildlife, and our clean water.
That we made it possible for working people to build lives here.
That our children still want to stay and maybe even someday – lead.
And that we chose community—again and again.
I'd be honored to earn your trust, your support, and your vote.
I’m Karyn Chin and I’m running for Teton County Commissioner.
Thank you.