Wyoming native and attorney Republican Harriet Hageman has beaten out her Democratic rival to claim the title of Wyoming’s U.S. House Representative.
Hageman grew up in Fort Laramie and spent much of her career as an attorney fighting environmental rules like those protecting wildlife, water and federal management of public lands. She was endorsed by former president Donald Trump to unseat U.S. Congresswoman Liz Cheney in a contentious primary race in August.
Hageman refused to admit that the 2020 presidential election was legitimate. She said her campaign kept a close eye on county clerks around the state.
“I think there are some things that we can do differently,” Hageman said. “I think that there are some statutory changes that would be beneficial to Wyoming. That's not to undermine the current election. And that's not to call into question the current outcome of this election. It's just the recognition that I think that there are ways to probably shore up our elections a bit.”
Hageman said her first priority as congresswoman is stopping the Biden administration from adding thousands of new IRS agents. She said she wasn’t elected to seek compromise.
“I have a different vision and different ideas from Liz Cheney and Lynnette Grey Bull. I do not agree with the Democrats,” she said. “And I’m not going to apologize for that or try to find a way to compromise, to reach a middle ground.”
Hageman’s Democratic challenger Lynnette Grey Bull is a community advocate running to be the first Indigenous woman to represent the state. Hageman turned down an invitation to debate the house candidates in October.
Grey Bull said her opponent needs to remember that even in such a red-leaning state as Wyoming, voters need to have a variety of perspectives to represent them.
“I do believe that Wyoming should continue to have choices in races, especially in important ones, like the House of Representatives,” Grey Bull said. “And also have good choices. It’s important that we continue to have a voice and make a stand, and understand that there’s a lot of us out here that have the same shared values.”
Grey Bull said, now that the election is over, she plans to get back to her grassroots work at community advocacy on the Wind River Reservation.
