Wyoming House Minority Leader Mike Yin of Jackson said he’s disappointed by the primary election turnout and that it's a sign that the state’s primary election system needs to change.

“We really shouldn't be deciding who is the elected representative by the primary system that we have,” he said. “I think it leads to outcomes where the decisions are being made by less than a thousand people for an entire 10,000 person district.”

In some districts, he said, even fewer voters turned out to decide the primaries. Many Republican winners will not see an opponent in the Nov. 5 general election.

Yin said he was especially surprised by the removal of incumbent moderate Republicans in Laramie and Sublette counties. He credited the number of negative mailers that were aimed at those lawmakers.

Yin said there are still a few races where Freedom Caucus candidates will face off with a Democrat or Independent in the upcoming general election, such as the contest between Sarah Penn and Ivan Posey in Fremont County, and the race between Ocean Andrew and Chris Lowry in Albany County. He said it’s critical there’s a higher turnout for the general election than for the primary.

“I've already had people tell me that [Wyoming is] going to be a place where they don't want to raise children. They don't think that they can have a job. They're afraid for their neighbors and their friends,” Yin said. “And so I do hope that people do come out to vote in the general election.”

This primary had the lowest voter turnout since 2016.