Update 8/21 — Primary election results overview
Wyoming’s primary election delivered a handful of upsets for longtime state lawmakers – along with some expected incumbent wins.
At the federal level, Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman both fended off primary challengers. They will each face a Democrat in the general election on November 5th.
The Wyoming Senate had 15 seats up for re-election. Out of the four races with candidates endorsed by the more conservative Wyoming Freedom Caucus - only two won the seats. Those were Tim French for Senate District 18 and Laura Pearson for Senate District 14. She beat longtime house leader Albert Sommers, who was trying to move to the senate from the house.
Meanwhile in the Wyoming House, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is getting closer to splitting the house in the middle between them and the more moderate Wyoming Caucus and Democrats. One upset included Ann Lucas beating longtime Cheyenne representative Dan Zwonitzer for House District 43. Lucas is endorsed by the Freedom Caucus.
Check our website for more updates and analysis.
Update 12:15 — Calling it a night
WPR will be back tomorrow with more election updates and results. Thanks for tuning in tonight!
Update 11:58 p.m. – HD 28 and 24 vote for Freedom Caucus-endorsed candidates
- AP called the race for Republican House District 28 that includes Thermopolis. Wyoming Freedom Caucus-endorsed incumbent John Winter will keep his seat, taking in 63 percent of the vote over challenger Kevin Skates. This will be Winter’s fourth term in the House. He’s a member of the Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources committee as well as the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources committee. There, he’s on a subcommittee that’s looking into possible changes in policies and penalties for the state’s predator laws. That’s in response to the outrage that emerged after a Sublette County man captured a live wolf, brought it into a home and bar, and later killed the animal. He advances to the general election unopposed.
- The AP called the race for Republican House Seat 24 with 99 percent of the votes counted. Nina Webber defeated Cody Mayor Matt Hall. Webber got 53 percent of the votes. “When I think about all of the voters that I had personal contact with, which was almost all of them, it tells me that they’re looking for a change. They want transparency and they want someone who is going to stand up and not take a knee,” she said. Webber is the current National Committeewoman for the Wyoming Republican Party. She is endorsed by the Freedom Caucus. Webber is replacing Sandy Newsome who served for three terms. She moves onto the general election with no Democratic challenger.
UPDATE 11:42 p.m. — Incumbent Lloyd Larsen survives his challenge from the Freedom Caucus
Republican incumbent Lloyd Larsen kept his seat for House District 54, winning against Wyoming Freedom Caucus-endorsed challenger Tina Clifford. Larsen represents Lander and has been in the legislature for the last 12 years. Larsen got 54 percent of the votes, which he said was the closest a race has been for him since a general election in 2018.
“It was certainly a close race. I've had one race that was closer, when Mark Calhoun ran against me, but this is a very close race. I was behind until they got all the early voting in,” he said.
Multiple incumbents lost to Freedom Caucus-endorsed candidates. Larsen said he’ll have to make some changes to keep being an effective legislator.
“I'll have to adjust, based on how the assignments are made after the general elections, but that's my job as an elected official is to adjust, right?,” he said.
Larsen was the subject of a mailer this year created by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus PAC, which claimed that he voted with the “radical left” to vote former Pres. Donald Trump off the ballot in 2024.
"I think the impact of all the negative mailers was significant, but I was able to get out in front of that,” Larsen said. “I think had I not put the effort in that I did, I think that I may not have prevailed in this race.”
Larsen added that he’s looking forward to taking down his lawn signs. He’ll run unopposed in the general election.
Just next door to Larsen’s district, incumbent legislator Ember Oakley was also the subject of similar mailers. However, she lost her seat for Republican House District 55 to Wyoming Freedom Caucus-endorsed Joel Guggenmos. He received 55 percent of the votes in the district representing Riverton and will proceed to the general election unopposed.
Update 11:20 p.m. – With the Freedom Caucus cleaning up in many races, Sweetwater County is the exception
The Associated Press has called two primary races in Sweetwater County. Both incumbent candidates, Rock Springs Representatives JT Larson and Cody Wylie, both won narrow margins over their challengers.
Last month, Larson and Wylie came under attack by “inaccurate” campaign mailers during their races for house districts 17 and 39. The mailers said both representatives voted to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot, though no such vote was ever taken. In response, the lawmakers filed a defamation suit against the far-right Wyoming Freedom Caucus’s political action committee.
Both of the legislators’ competitors were endorsed by the Freedom Caucus.
Before the race was called, Wylie said, “Wyoming is moving into a new direction. I don't know if it's good for the state. I've said several times, if we're not careful, it's just going to be a seasonal game show.”
Wylie won his race by a margin of just 15 votes. It was 46.9 percent, just above the closest competitor’s 45.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Larson won 52.9 percent over his competitor’s 47.1 percent.
After the results came in, Larson said, “There's no room for dirty campaign tactics in Wyoming, and I'm glad that the voters were able to see through that and make the right choice.”
Update 11:11 p.m. – AP calls a slew of races
Editor's Note: A previous version of this update said the Freedom Caucus appeared to have won a majority in the state House. As of tonight, it's too close to tell.
- Senate District 14 has been unofficially called, which includes much of southwest Wyoming. Longtime political veteran Albert Sommers has lost the Republican ticket by an extremely tight margin. Laura Pearson of LaBarge won. Pearson is endorsed by the far-right Wyoming Freedom caucus. She’s pro-gun, pro-life, anti-transgender rights and pro-limited government. She also has shared content on her campaign’s Facebook page that pushes back on climate change. This is a noteworthy shift in Wyoming politics. Sommers has served in the Wyoming House since 2013 and was historically quite popular amongst Sublette County voters. The past two years he’s served as speaker of the house. He’s seen as a more moderate Republican and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus specifically targeted him during this election cycle. Pearson now advances to the general election unopposed.
- The AP called the race for Republican house seat 50, with 62 percent of the votes counted. Incumbent Rachel Rodriguez-Williams defeated Cody-based attorney David Hill. Now in her third term, Rodriguez-Williams is a highly visible member of the Freedom Caucus. “The grassroots movement not only in Park County, but across the state speaks volumes to where the people are. The people want representation for them. They don’t want to be represented by somebody who is only working for special interest groups,” she said. Rodriguez-Williams sponsored a near-total abortion ban that is currently being challenged in the courts, as well as a bill seeking to ban gender-affirming care.
Update 10:36 p.m. - AP has called several important races in the last half hour
- The AP called the race for Republican House District 54 for the incumbent Lloyd Larsen, with 99 percent of votes counted. He got 54 percent of the votes. He was running against Tina Clifford, who was endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Larsen is the chair of the Mental Health Task Force and has been in the Legislature for 12 years. He represents Lander. Larsen will not see an opponent in the general election.
- The Associated Press called the race for Republican House District 55, with 99 percent of the votes counted. Wyoming Freedom Caucus-endorsed Joel Guggenmos will replace incumbent Ember Oakley. Guggenmoss got 55 percent of the votes. The district covers much of Riverton. Oakley is currently the chair of the Select Committee on Tribal Relations and has been in the House for two terms. Guggenmos is a former Riverton School Board member. He will proceed to the general election unopposed.
- AP called the race for Republican Senate Seat 18, with 77 percent of the votes counted: Incumbent and Freedom Caucus-endorsed Tim French defeated Landon Greer, a former Cody city councilman and business owner. French got 59 percent of the votes. French, who is a farmer, has held the seat since 2021. He now advances to the general unopposed.
- House District 20 has been called for La Barge’s Mike Schmid. The Republican won by a 63 percent advantage over his primary opponent, Cat Urbigkit, a sheep rancher in Boulder. This seat represents mostly Sublette County. Schmid is in the oil and gas business and is known for supporting the energy industry. He also ran on lowering property taxes. He’s new to the legislature. Schmid will be taking over the seat from longtime political veteran Albert Sommers. Schmid is not endorsed by the far-right Wyoming Freedom Caucus, but has been associated with the group in the past. He now moves onto the general election without an opponent.
- According to AP, Sen. Charles Scott will retain Senate District 30, which covers the western-most portion of Casper into the Powder River and portions of Casper Mountain. Scott won with close to 50 percent of the vote. Robert Hendry followed closely behind with nearly 40 percent, and Charles Schoenwolf secured less than 500 votes. Scott has focused recently on education reform, like allowing charter schools to receive state loans and ensuring teacher pay is in a separate secured budget. Scott has held his seat since 1983, and has hinted he might not be running in the future. He advances to the general election without a Democratic opponent.
UPDATE 10:18 p.m. - Fewer Democrats ran primaries compared to 2020
This election is seeing fewer Democratic candidates but a similar number of Republican candidates compared to 2020.
In 2020, a total of 28 Democratic candidates ran for seats in the Wyoming Legislature: , six for Senate and 22 for House. The GOP had a total of 124 candidates: 29 for the Senate and 95 for House.
Four years later, participation is much lower for Democratic candidates – the party only has 16 candidates for the state legislature, down 12 from 2020. Many of the candidates are political newcomers. However, several, such as Sara Burlingame, who is running for House District 11, are former members of the House and are attempting political comebacks. All Democrats are running unopposed this primary, while in 2020 two primary races saw contests
On other hand, this year many Republicans are in competitive primary races and have a similar number of candidates compared to 2020. The GOP in total has 131 candidates for the state legislature, 30 for Senate and 101 for House. Only four of the 15 Senate races are uncontested, while 18 of the House’s 62 races are uncontested.
UPDATE 9:45 p.m. - AP calls HD 43, SD 6, and SD 18
The Associated Press (AP) reports that longtime lawmaker Dan Zwonitzer has lost his primary race in House District 43 against challenger Ann Lucas. Lucas was endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Zwonitzer has been in the House since 2005. With 79 percent of votes counted, Lucas had about 60 percent to Zwonitzer’s 40.
AP also called the Republican primary for Senate District 6 for Darin Smith, with 93 percent of votes counted. He handily beat five others for the seat previously held by Anthony Bouchard, who’s retiring. Bouchard endorsed Smith.
The AP called Senate District 18 for Tim French with 77 percent of votes counted. French is an incumbent and was endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. He first took office in 2021. He beat challenger Landon Greer by about 20 percent.
AP also called the Republican primary for House District 40 for Marylin Connolly. She’ll take the seat Barry Crago left open as he pursues state Senate District 22. That seat hasn’t been called yet. The district represents Buffalo and Kaycee. Connolly has been involved in the Johnson County GOP for the past 20 years. This is her first time running. She took 47 percent of the vote, with 88 percent counted. She beat Mark Jones and Liberty Poley.
UPDATE 8:55 p.m. – AP calls HD 27 and SD 26 for incumbents
With 87 percent of the votes counted, The Associated Press has called the House District 27 Republican primary for the incumbent, Martha Lawley. Lawley received 65 percent of the vote, defeating challenger Tami Young. She represents Worland and Tensleep. Lawley will run unopposed in the general election. She was first elected in 2022.
The Associated Press also called the race for Republican Senate District 26 for the incumbent, Tim Salazar. He got 61 percent of the votes, with 83 percent of the votes counted. He was running against Elizabeth Philip. The district includes Riverton, Pavilion and up to Dubois. Like Lawley, Salazar will run unopposed in the general election.
Salazar was first elected to the House in 2016, then moved into his current Senate seat in 2020. He was not formally endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus this cycle but has often aligned with the caucus. He told Wyoming Public Radio in an earlier interview that this will be his last term.
UPDATE 8:40 p.m. – Haroldson reacts to win in HD 4. HD 34 called.
Earlier this hour, the Associated Press called the Republican primary for House District 4 for incumbent Jeremy Haroldson. This will be his third term.
WPR reached Haroldson at a watch party. He will be contested in the General for the first time.
“Platte County's numbers are roughly, like, 14 percent Democratic,” he said. “So I'm not that terribly concerned about going into our general that I will have an issue. Obviously, I'll continue to work like I will but I don't believe I will. It'll be my first though, so it'll be interesting to walk through having a Democratic opponent.”
The Associated Press just called the race for Republican House District 34 with 57 percent of the votes counted. Incumbent Pepper Ottman will keep her seat, getting 69 percent of the votes. She was running against Reg Phillips and had been endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
This will be Ottman’s third term in the House. The district includes Pavilion, Dubois and part of the Wind River Reservation.
UPDATE 8:15 p.m. – GOP candidates watch results come in from Sweetwater County Courthouse
Two contested races for the Wyoming House are wrapping up tonight in Sweetwater County.
About 20 people have turned up at the Sweetwater County Courthouse in Green River to watch results come in.
There’s a big television screen near the attorney’s office where folks are sitting in metal chairs and standing around.
Three or so people are taking photos and there’s a decent press presence, likely because of the controversy of this race.
Both incumbent candidates for House in this county – J.T. Larson and Cody Wylie – have filed a defamation suit against the Freedom Caucus PAC because of “inaccurate” mailers.
It’s impossible to say what the impact of these mailers has been on voters right now – but results are coming in and we’ll know more soon.
UPDATE 8:09 p.m. – AP calls federal races
The Associated Press has called the Republican primary election for both Wyoming federal seats on the ballot this election cycle.
Incumbent John Barrasso takes the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, with six percent of votes counted. Barrasso took about 69 percent of the vote. Reid Rasner trails with 23 percent, and John Holtz with almost 8. Barrasso has been in the seat since 2007.
The Associated Press has also called Harriet Hageman the winner of the GOP primary for U.S. House, with five percent of votes counted. Opponent Steven Helling only had 20 percent of the vote. Hageman won the seat from Liz Cheney two years ago.
UPDATE 8:00 p.m. - Republican House District 4 called by AP
The first contested race in Wyoming’s primary election has been called. With 74 percent of votes counted, The Associated Press called the race for Republican House District 4 for the incumbent, Jeremy Haroldson. He got 68 percent of the votes. He was running against Jeffery Thomas. Haroldson is the vice chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. He represents Wheatland down to Chugwater.
Update 8:00 p.m. — Election Day photos from across Wyoming
Update 7:45 p.m. – Some Wyomingites raced back to cars for IDs due to a relatively new voting law
Polls closed a little while ago for Wyoming’s primary election.
This year, Wyoming voters are turning in ballots under a couple relatively new laws.
One that was passed in 2021 requires voters to show a valid ID at the polls.
Matthew is a poll worker in Laramie. He said he was staffing Albany County’s busiest polling location.
“Only, like, one or two people had forgotten IDs, and it’s usually just running back out to the car to get it,” he said.
That’s exactly what Lisa Kisling in Lander did earlier today.
“I haven’t turned in my ballot yet because I need to go to my truck and get my ID. I’ve never had to have it before,” she said.
Thirty-six states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The remaining states and Washington D-C use other methods to check voter’s identities – like matching signatures.
Update 7:00 p.m. - Polls are now closed
The polls are now closed and vote counting is ongoing. When results are in they will be updated here.
Update 5:40 p.m. - Wyoming voters fielding campaign mailers and ads
Many voters have been receiving election-related mailers and ads on social media for weeks.
One circulating today on Facebook is from a national advocacy nonprofit called Convention of States Action. The group wants to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and impose new term limits for federal officials, among other priorities.
Campaign finance reports show the group spent just over $70,000 in Wyoming this year.
Another ad circulating on Facebook is from the more moderate wing of the state GOP, the Wyoming Caucus. It blasts an out-of-state advocacy group for sending mailers attacking more moderate Republican candidates.
The Wyoming Caucus PAC has spent $200,000 in this year’s primary election. Campaign finance reports also show that Gov. Mark Gordon gave the PAC $30,000.
Update 5:30 p.m. – Jackson voters look down ballot
Voters in Jackson headed to the polls at the Teton County Library today.
Many, like Nanci Stevenson, stressed the importance of voting, but especially in local elections.
“I feel really positive about voting today. It's a very important vote. I'm 66 years old and I think I was probably in my 50s before I realized the importance of down-ballot voting,” said Stevenson. “Especially things like in this community, county commissioner, things like that. I think it's super, super important.”
Others voiced some frustration with recent changes to voting laws.
“I feel like I'm constrained a little bit,” said Chuck Harris. “I'm registered as a Republican. I didn't get around to changing my registration before May 15. That goofy new law kept me from voting for Democrats today. Normally, I could switch parties at [the] election station, and I can't today, so I didn't have much to vote on.”
Check out this story to read or hear more.
Update 5:00 p.m. – Some Wyoming voters express frustration with new party affiliation election law
A new election law is tripping up some voters in Wyoming. Registered voters needed to declare party affiliation back in May to vote the ballot of their choice in the primary election on Aug. 20.
“Everything ran very smoothly,” according to voter Ann Fitzgerald of Laramie. “The only thing I was frustrated with, that put a damper on it for me, is last year I changed parties in order to be able to vote for Liz Cheney against [Harriet] Hageman. Then I forgot to change parties back and I missed the deadline.
Another voter in Laramie, Amber, agreed. “I'm just a little frustrated that we weren't allowed to change our party affiliation,” she said. “Previously, with the election, with the presidency, and this year, I'd like to switch back to my previous party affiliation and wasn't able to. So it was a little frustrating to not be able to register with the candidates I'd like to. I ended up using the write-in ballot as an option to still vote for the ones that I had wanted to. So I still feel good that I was able to vote today.”
Last year, Wyoming lawmakers passed a bill that made so-called crossover voting harder by restricting how close to an election voters can change their party affiliation. Voters now have to change their affiliation before candidates file to run for office. This year, that day fell on May 15. This is the first election since the law was passed.
Wyoming voters will be able to vote for their candidate of choice – regardless of party affiliation – in the general election in November.
Update 4:00 p.m. – Three politicians on how the Wyoming primary will affect the statehouse’s balance of power
The results of today’s primary could determine the balance of power within the Wyoming GOP. The more conservative House Freedom Caucus needs at least six seats to take a majority in the state House.
Wyoming Public Radio reached out to representatives from three voting blocs in the Wyoming Legislature to consider how this election is different from past cycles and what it means for next year’s legislative session.
Sen. Fred Baldwin (R-Kemmerer) tends to align with the more moderate wing of the Wyoming GOP, the Wyoming Caucus. He says he’s seeing more personal attacks – and out of state spending – than in previous years.
“It's much more notable this time than it's been in the past,” said Baldwin. “So, yeah, I think it's been unpredictable in the past, but I think it's not been as divisive and competitive as what we're seeing this time.”
Rep. John Bear (R-Gillette) is the chair of the more conservative Freedom Caucus.
“I would really hope, as I always do, that the legislature would be more closely a representation of the people of Wyoming,” Bear said. “I do believe that no matter what the outcome, that's more likely to happen because more and more people are becoming familiar with what's happening in Cheyenne.”
Sen. Chris Rothfuss (D-Laramie) says today’s primary will tell us a lot about the direction of the Wyoming Legislature for the next few years.
“There's obviously been a tremendous tension over on the majority side between the Wyoming Caucus and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus,” Rothfuss said. “This election will decide which way the people of Wyoming want to go.”
To read or hear more, click here.
Update 3:30 p.m. – Hearing from voters outside the Cody Recreation Center
Retired, rural voters in the Cody area are concerned about rising property taxes and the high cost of living. A handful of voters at a polling place at the Paul Stock Aquatic and Recreation Center talked about the issues that matter to them and how the voting process went on primary election day.
“The process here is pretty easy. Since we voted last time we were on the rolls, so we didn't have to re-register,” said John Tanaka, who lives just outside of Cody. He was glad to vote for Sen. John Barasso because “he's not real extreme one way or the other.”
Tanaka’s biggest concern this election is property taxes. “Our property taxes have doubled in the last three years and makes it a little harder when you're retired. The income stays the same, but taxes go up. It's not impacting us a whole lot; we can afford the increase. It just means we can't do other fun things with our time.”
Donald Ciskie lives in town and said that the cost of housing and utilities is a major concern for him. “Electricity rates have gone up so dang much and because I'm on social security, and I'm limited on what I can spend, so that really affects my life,” said Ciskie. He said his daughter and son-in-law tried to move to Cody from Texas but couldn’t stay because of the rising cost of housing. “If we had more jobs around here for people to stay, or they could stay with their families. That's pretty dang important.”
Retiree Rita Mainini lives in Cody. “I voted for candidates that would have a biblical worldview,” Mainini said. “I just believe that they would do the right thing when they're in office and not stray from what they're supposed to do for the people. If any candidate is pro-life, then that tells me a lot about that candidate. We had the abortion bill that went into law a couple years ago and it's still not into effect. So I hope that things can be done so that would go into effect in the state of Wyoming.”
To read and hear more, click here.
Update 3:00 p.m. – Checking in with voters in Lander
Voters flocked to the polls at the high school gymnasium in Lander this morning for the state’s primary election. Spirits were high as community members donned “I voted” stickers and red, white and blue clothing.
Fremont County is a conservative stronghold, but it’s more purple than many other parts of the Cowboy State. It’s also home to some of the most contentious battles for state lawmaker seats, largely between members of the Freedom Caucus and the more moderate Wyoming Caucus.
“I feel the Freedom Caucus is an outside influence in the state of Wyoming. We need to be very careful of their agenda,” said Kellie Webb, director of a behavioral health program called Doya Natsu Healing Center out of Fort Washakie. “Being engaged in every aspect of your life, whether it’s local politics or national politics, we have to become aware, we have to be critical thinkers and we have to search out the information and not just get what we’re fed.”
“Nationally, it’s very divisive, doesn’t seem like anyone can get along to get things done,” said Carl Huhnke, who got to bring his grandson to vote for the first time. “Locally, it’s not as bad as nationally, but I’ve seen a lot more negativity in our local elections, which I don’t like. You’re either pushed far right or you’re pushed far left. Again when you do that it’s hard to get things done.”
“I think we needed some different choices. We need to change in my opinion. Our government is in a bad mess,” said Glenn Troester. He’s retired and says democracy is at an all-time low. “I think spending’s out of control, taxes are out of control, our economy is in a poor state of affairs. It’s not about consideration of our country any longer, it’s a personal thing.”
To read and hear more, click here.
Update 1 p.m. – Happy primary election day, Wyoming!
Wyomingites head to the polls today for primary elections. On the ballot: every seat in the state House, 15 state Senate seats, a U.S. Senate and a U.S. House seat, and many town and county positions.
This page will carry updates throughout the day with results, analysis and context. We’ll also broadcast election results throughout the night on the radio.
Before the polls opened this morning, about 16 percent of registered voters had already turned in absentee ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
New this year: voters will need a valid ID to vote or register to vote. Also new: Wyoming is having a closed primary, meaning registered voters needed to declare a party affiliation back in May to be able to vote the party ticket of their choice. New voters can still register today.
Polls close at 7 p.m. today – any eligible elector in line at that time shall be allowed to vote. Absentee ballots must be turned in by that deadline.
Look up your polling location here. Live results from The Associated Press are here.
