Wyoming
Cracks in Wyoming’s red wall: State faces power shifts, Republican split
What we learned at the world’s largest outdoor rodeo
USA Today Wyoming politics reporter Cy Neff went to Cheyenne Frontier Days to learn about all things rodeo.
On Election Day, there won’t be a lot of surprises in Wyoming. The Cowboy State is expected to overwhelmingly re-elect former President Donald Trump. Incumbent Republicans Senator John Barrasso and Representative Harriet Hageman are likely to return to Congress with ease. And on the state level, Republicans are expected to keep their dominance in the state’s legislature.
But a closer look shows cracks in the state’s red wall and mounting questions about what it means to be a Wyomingite and a conservative.
“It’s been disheartening to see the division in our own party,” Republican State Senator Wendy Schuler said. “We still have people that are really thinking that this far right rhetoric is what we need to hear.”
The “Code of the West,” derived from the book “Cowboy Ethics,” is 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 feed into Wyoming’s political reputation as a handshake-forward, small-town style, independently thinking state. National trends, however, are coming home to roost.
Recent legislative sessions have been rife with hot-button culture war issues, with the 2024 sessions including proposed abortion restrictions, a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and a ban on gun-free zones. Republican fissures on the issues mirror national trends, with more moderate, establishment Republicans bearing allegations of being “RINOs” (Republicans in Name Only) from their further-right, often Freedom Caucus-aligned opponents.
The clashes have played out in Wyoming’s highest echelons. Republican Governor Mark Gordon vetoed many of the legislature’s culture war bills and ended up facing censure from his own party. Gordon frequently butts heads with Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who secured his office with a Trump endorsement and campaigned on disproven claims of a stolen 2020 election.
The fissures were on full display in the state’s primary, which shifted power rightward towards the growing Wyoming Freedom Caucus. The campaign season featured accusations of misinformation, including a defamation lawsuit, out-of-state money, and continued the state’s trend of increasingly expensive election cycles.
The Freedom Caucus will enter 2025 in the driver’s seat instead of its members’ long-held positions as political outsiders and disrupters. Republican State Representative and Freedom Caucus member Chip Neiman says the reshuffling of power indicates voter discontent with Wyoming politics.
“If people didn’t want something, or were satisfied with the howngs were, this would not have gone this way,” Nieman said. “I would suggest that people are looking for more conservative type leadership.”
Cy Neff reports on Wyoming politics for USA TODAY. You can reach him at cneff@usatoday.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CyNeffNews
WYOMING — Governor Mark Gordon hosted an impromptu panel discussion earlier this week with state veterinarians and the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) to initiate communication efforts relating to the New World screwworm.
A statement from Gordon’s office says that there are no reported outbreaks of the flesh-eating New World screwworm in the U.S. outside of previously confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico. Gordon called the session to increase lines of communication about the screwworm ahead of Wyoming’s peak summer travel, backcountry and rodeo season. Included in the panel were State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel, State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Allen, and WDH Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Emily Curren.
“There are no reported cases in Wyoming; however, Texas and New Mexico are tracking instances, so it is important to keep all citizens informed — including pet owners, campers, rodeo athletes, and sportsmen, in addition to our ag, ranching and wildlife communities.” Gordon said in the statement. “I’m satisfied with the extensive outreach regarding NWS that has been ongoing to our ag, livestock, and wildlife professionals.”
Gordon and the panelists fielded questions and heard commentary from various professionals, including Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish Department Angi Bruce, and Wyoming Livestock Board Director Steven True.
New World screwworm is a deadly, flesh-eating parasite that was previously eradicated in the United States and hasn’t been seen in Texas since 1966. An outbreak of the insects in Panama spurred a state of emergency in 2023, and a case of the screwworm was confirmed in southern Mexico in 2024. The female flies lay their eggs in open wounds of mammals, and the livestock industry is fearful of potential impacts on cattle and beef production.
Below are the key takeaways from the discussion, per Gordon’s statement.
- There are no reported outbreaks of New World screwworm in Wyoming.
- New World screwworms feed on and lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
- Transmission to humans is very rare.
- New World screwworm is not a food safety issue.
- Livestock and domesticated animals should be checked regularly — daily if possible.
- Contact a veterinarian or medical doctor if open wounds are painful and persistent.
- Keeping fly populations under control at rodeo events protects animals and people.
- Protocols for safe animal transport are currently in place in Wyoming.
- Wildlife and game populations are being monitored for early indicators of fly strikes.
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the
public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
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