Wyoming Freedom Caucus gains power, but November will determine statehouse control

FROM WYOFILE:

While both Republican factions saw upsets Tuesday, the hard-line flank is strongly positioned to take a majority in the House.

The hard-line Wyoming Freedom Caucus gained at least three seats in Tuesday’s primary, setting the stage for the November general election to determine which faction of the Republican party controls the House.

Going into Tuesday, members and allies of the Freedom Caucus controlled about 26 votes in the 62-member House. By midnight, the caucus appeared to have secured at least 29 seats, according to an analysis by WyoFile of the complete but as yet unofficial results. Thirty-two members are required for majority control of the chamber.

Another six Freedom-Caucus-endorsed candidates won their Republican nominations Tuesday. Four of the six, however, will face Democratic candidates in November, while two may have to compete against Independents.

Together, Tuesday’s results signal a likely shift in the balance of power toward the right and a significant loss of institutional knowledge at the statehouse. That could have big implications for a slew of issues in Wyoming, from mental health services and energy development, to public education and revenue streams for local services.

While some traditionalist Wyoming Caucus members fended off far-right challengers, including Reps. Lloyd Larsen (R-Lander) and Bob Nicholas (R-Cheyenne), the group lost significant power and may ultimately lose control of the House. Major losses included Reps. Ember Oakley (R-Riverton), Clark Stith (R-Rock Springs), Tom Walters (R-Casper) and Dan Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne).

Meanwhile, Freedom-Caucus-endorsed newcomers racked up wins with Nina Webber in Cody’s House District 24 and Tom Kelly in Sheridan’s House District 30. The caucus, however, did not emerge unscathed:  Republican primary voters ousted Freedom caucus Reps. Allen Slagle (R-Newcastle), Tamara Trujillo (R-Cheyenne) and Jeanette Ward (R-Casper).

If the group can score enough victories in November to hit 32 members and allies, it will secure the majority in the lower chamber for the first time since it formed in 2020.

Wyoming Senate

In the Senate, a less formally organized group of Freedom-caucus aligned hard-line Republicans retained control, despite traditional Republicans making gains.

In one closely watched race, Wyoming Caucus Rep. Barry Crago (R-Buffalo) beat Rep. Mark Jennings (R-Sheridan) for Senate District 22. The traditionalists quickly returned that gain, however, when, in one of the biggest upsets of the night, political newcomer Laura Pearson bested Speaker of the House Albert Sommers in Senate District 14.

The final make-up of both chambers will depend on November’s general election. Sixteen Democrats are in the running, including three Albany County incumbents who face Republican challengers.

There are also two independent nominees now gathering signatures to appear on the November ballot. That includes former lawmaker Bruce Burns, who is seeking to challenge Republican nominee Laurie Bratten in Sheridan’s House District 51, as well as Joseph Ramirez, who is looking to challenge Republican nominee Clarence Styvar in Cheyenne’s House District 12. Styvar aligns with the Freedom Caucus, while Bratten is endorsed by the group.

Tyler Cessor, meanwhile, has secured enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Casper’s House District 57, where Julie Jarvis is the Republican nominee. Both candidates oppose the Freedom Caucus.

The results of the primary election are unofficial until the state canvassing board certifies them on Aug 28.

Background

The fissure between House Republicans can be traced back to at least 2020, when the Freedom Caucus officially formed.

Last election, the group grew its ranks to form a roughly 26-member-and-ally voting bloc. While that wasn’t enough to fully control the lower chamber, it did allow the caucus to block bills on introduction during a budget session when two-thirds support is needed.

The Freedom Caucus wielded that power in the 2024 session to kill a dozen committee bills — which broke with the long-held tradition of prioritizing such measures because they’ve seen significantly more time, money and consideration than legislation sponsored by individual lawmakers.

The Freedom Caucus was also able to elect one of its own members, Rep. Chip Neiman (R-Hulett), to be the second-ranking officer of the body in 2023. As majority floor leader, it was Neiman’s prerogative to move legislation to the front or back of the line of bills waiting to be debated. That effectively gave him the power to kill or prioritize legislation.

Then came the Wyoming Caucus.

The group formed in 2023 in direct response to the Freedom Caucus, and is ideologically aligned with the majority of House members. Soon after, both it and the Freedom Caucus formed political action committees, which allow for higher fundraising and spending limits than individual candidates’ campaign committees.

PAC spending

Spending between the two caucus PACs has been about even since January, according to campaign finance reports filed earlier this month. The Freedom Caucus, however, outraised the Wyoming Caucus by about $64,000.

Gov. Mark Gordon was the biggest donor to the Wyoming Caucus, personally giving $30,000, while the two largest donors to the Freedom Caucus were William and Jeanie Haas of Hulett, who donated $30,000 each.

The two PACs spent their dollars differently. The Wyoming Caucus focused on direct contributions to candidates, while the Freedom Caucus mostly  supported candidates via McShane LLC, a Las Vegas-based consulting firm.

The most visible spending by the Freedom Caucus came in the form of mailers — it paid McShane about $91,000 for postage and printing — which sparked a defamation lawsuit and at least one cease-and-desist letter.

The highest-spending PAC, however, came from outside the state.

Virginia-based Make Liberty Win poured in $370,000 — nearly the same amount both Republican PACs spent combined — on mailers, phone calls and text messages mostly in support of Freedom-Caucus-aligned candidates.

The mailers, in particular, stirred controversy when they included the wrong dates for early voting and used a Virginia man’s photograph to portray a Wyoming man running for the state Senate. The latter blunder spurred a cease-and-desist letter.

In addition to his donation to the Wyoming Caucus PAC, Gordon’s Prosperity and Commerce PAC spent $150,000 in support of traditional Republicans. Altogether the PAC spent about $213,000 this election, largely in direct contributions to candidates.

The general election is Nov. 5.

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

This story was posted on August 21, 2024.