Wyoming elections show cracks in state’s conservative roots

There will be no surprises on Election Day in Wyoming. The Cowboy State is expected to overwhelmingly re-elect the former president. Donald Trump. Incumbent Republican Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman are likely to easily return to Congress. At the state level, Republicans are expected to maintain their dominance in the state Legislature.

But a closer look reveals cracks in the state’s red wall and growing questions about what it means to be Wyomingite and conservative.

“It’s unfortunate to see division in our own party,” said state Sen. Wendy Schuler. “We still have people who actually think this far-right rhetoric is what we need to hear.”

“Code of the West”, taken from the book “Cowboy Ethics”, written into the Wyoming Constitution. Members of the Wyoming Legislature have no staff or assistants and often work full-time in the communities they represent as ranchers, lawyers or truck drivers. The cowboy code and citizen legislature enhance Wyoming’s political reputation as an independent-minded, small-town, handshake-oriented state. However, national trends are coming home.

Recent legislative sessions have been rife with hot-button culture war issues, including the 2024 session proposed restrictions on abortionban on gender-affirming care for minorsAnd ban on gun-free zones. The divisions among Republicans on these issues reflect national trends, with more moderate establishment Republicans accusing them of “RINO” (Republicans in Name Only) from their far-right opponents, often supporters of the Freedom Caucus.

Clashes erupted in the highest echelons of Wyoming. republican Gov. Mark Gordon vetoes many of the legislature’s culture war bills and ultimately faced censure from one’s own party. Gordon often butts heads with Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who secured his office Trump’s endorsement and campaigned on debunked claims stolen election 2020.

The cracks were completely visible on chief statewhich shifted power to the right toward the growing Wyoming Freedom Caucus. During the pre-election season they presented accusations of disinformationincluding libel suit, money out of stateand continued the state’s trend increasingly expensive election cycles.

In 2025, the Freedom Caucus will take the lead instead of its members’ long-standing positions as political outsiders and disruptors. Republican State Representative and Freedom Caucus member Chip Neumann says the power shakeup points to voter dissatisfaction with Wyoming politics.

“If people didn’t want something or were satisfied with their situation, things would go wrong,” Nieman said. “I would suggest that people are looking for a more conservative type of leadership.”

Cy Neff reports on Wyoming politics for USA TODAY. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter. @CyNeffNews