Wyoming
Wyoming Freedom Caucus gains momentum and ousts Speaker of the House Albert Sommers from the senate
Wyoming’s Speaker of the House and veteran of the Cowboy State lawmaking world will be out of politics for now. This political upset in the primaries marks a larger shift in state politics.
Sublette County rancher Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) lost the Republican race for Senate District 14, which serves much of southwest Wyoming. Laura Pearson of the Kemmerer-area won by about 200 votes, according to The Associated Press.
Pearson is new to the political scene. She’s a fourth generation sheep rancher, school bus driver and a small business owner. She’s endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. It’s a national political faction that’s gaining traction in the Wyoming Republican Party.
Sommers, who’s served in Sublette County’s state House seat since 2013 and has been a leader of the lawmaking body for two sessions, said this primary election marks a new chapter for Wyoming politics.
“I do have concerns, but ultimately we will see how they [the Freedom Caucus] lead, right?” Sommers said shortly after his race was called. “That remains to be seen. They haven’t been in power before, so you can’t say for sure how they will govern, but time will tell.”
After the primary, the Freedom Caucus is close to controlling half of the Wyoming House. In the Senate, they endorsed three other candidates – one of which won: Tim French held on to his seat in Senate District 18 representing much of Park County.
Generally speaking, the group emphasizes “family values,” “individual freedoms” and “limited government.” In Wyoming, that has meant supporting minimal federal government involvement, including funding for mental health and K-12 education programs. They also have touted climate-denial talking points that are largely disputed by the science community.
In recent years, Sommers has faced a lot of backlash from the Freedom Caucus. He’s supported by the more moderate, traditional Republican faction, the Wyoming Caucus.
In the 2023 legislative session, the Freedom Caucus was particularly upset by Sommers allowing several controversial bills die – something he could do as Speaker of the House. One was touted as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill that would’ve limited what can be talked about in public schools. Sommers said this type of teaching was not happening in Wyoming schools and it strips local control, plus he added that he believed it was unconstitutional. This received state and national condemnation from the Freedom Caucus.
In this year’s budget session, the Freedom Caucus had enough members in the House to circumvent Sommers’ leadership. They said they did so to try to curb government spending and “bring government policy more in line with conservative values.”
Bills introduced during a budget session need two-thirds support. That meant the Freedom Caucus was able to band together to prevent 13 committee bills from being introduced on day one of the session. This turned heads, because committee bills are typically a shoe-in. They are crafted by lawmakers over the previous year, usually after tedious hours of deliberation between stakeholders.
Then, as election campaigning heated up this summer, Sommers received more backlash from the Freedom Caucus. Political Action Committees (PACs) tied to the group sent out mailers accusing Sommers of aligning more with Democratic values. The mailers also made generalized statements that Sommers opposed things like property tax relief for all and Second Amendment rights. In response, Sommers sent out mailers saying it isn’t true and that he “sides with Cowboys, not [Washington] D.C. Bureaucrats.”
In an interview after the primaries were called, Sommers said the negativity this campaign cycle was particularly disheartening.
“I was hoping Wyoming would reject that negativity, but they didn’t. That seems to be a winning formula,” Sommers said. “By all accounts, that negativity flipped the Republicans in Idaho, and it flipped the Republicans in South Dakota, and now it, apparently, has flipped in Wyoming.”
But Sommers said even though he didn’t win the Senate seat, the silver lining was that he still won the majority of the vote in his home area – Sublette County.
“Those are the folks that know me. So I feel good about that,” he said.
Sommers reflected on his over a decade tenure in the Wyoming legislature. Standout lawmaking moments included passing budgets during years of financial crisis for the state – like when oil dropped in the stock market and COVID. Also, funding the Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship and Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust Fund.
But, he also said he just likes serving the people. He will miss that.
“It doesn’t feel weird yet. It likely will feel weird come next January, when everybody’s gearing up to go to Cheyenne, and I’m not. But you know, life goes on,” Sommers said. “Life goes on.”
He added that he will probably use his extra time to go on more trips and get out on the water fishing. He’ll stay out of politics – for now.
“I never close the door on anything,” he said. “I don’t know that I would run again, but who knows?”
As for passing on the lawmaking torch? Mike Schmid, a LaBarge Republican, will take over Sommers’ House District 20 seat. Schmid is a first-timer in the legislature. While not endorsed by the Freedom Caucus, he aligns with them on many issues and has donated $1,000 to the group’s PAC.
Pearson, who beat Sommers, campaigned on being pro-gun, pro-life, anti-transgender rights, pro-limited government and restructuring the property tax system. In an interview post-primary results, she said she wants to be a transparent voice for the people.
“The people are the employers and they have a right to know what’s going on down there [in Cheyenne],” Pearson said. “So that’s what I want to bring home. I, until now, was their [lawmakers’] employer too.”
Meaning, she was a constituent until now, and not a politician. She said she only recently started testifying during public comment on bills. What got her interested was the events surrounding 2020.
“I believe that the 2020 election was stolen from President Trump,” she said. “Then during COVID, I didn’t feel like our state was protecting our citizens.”
Despite numerous challenges to states’ 2020 election results and investigations, there has been no evidence that there was fraud in that election.
Pearson recognized that it was a close race between her and Sommers. Many of her constituents are staunch Sommers’ supporters.
“We can talk civilly, and we can respect each other’s opinions, and we can agree on some things and not agree on others,” Pearson said. “But I’m here to represent the people. It doesn’t matter whether they’re far-right or not.”
Pearson will take over the Senate District 14 seat early next year from retiring Sen. Fred Baldwin (R-Kemmerer). Meanwhile, Sommers will step down from his House seat early next year.
Wyoming
Baseball-sized hail clobbers Wyoming's Devils Tower as powerful supercell races through Black Hills
Three of the four listed need to be a winter storm, but one can happen year-round — even in the summer.
DEVILS TOWER, Wyo. – Baseball-sized hail clobbered Devils Tower National Monument on Monday as a powerful supercell storm formed in northeast Wyoming.
The National Weather Service reported significant damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles caused by 2.75-inch hail and 54 mph wind. The extreme weather moved directly over the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County.
WATCH: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAUSES BOUNCE HOUSE TO GO AIRBORNE IN ALABAMA
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Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(Courtesy of Jodi Havener via NWS) -
Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(Courtesy of Jodi Havener via NWS) -
Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(Courtesy of Ken Nutter via NWS) -
Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(State of Wyoming) -
Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(Courtesy of Jodi Havener via NWS) -
Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(Courtesy of Ken Nutter via NWS) -
Here’s a look at the damage after the storm outside Devils Tower Trading Post on Monday.
(Devils Tower Trading Post) -
Late Monday afternoon, a supercell developed across northeast Wyoming and tracked directly over Devils Tower, Wyoming, where it caused extensive damage to trees, buildings, campers and vehicles.
(Courtesy of Thomas Winesett via NWS)
The National Park Service closed Devils Tower due to storm damage. Park conditions were being reevaluated Wednesday morning.
Several traffic cones and a stop sign lay on the ground after being blown over in a hail storm.
(H. Valls, DETO / NPS Photo)
“We are open and cleaning up well,” Tim Davis, the owner of Devils Tower Trading Post, told FOX Weather.
Davis said his business sustained about 20 broken windows and extensive mud accumulation from the hail that fell in front of the store. A 30-foot American flag positioned outside was also torn and devoid of any remaining stars.
“Picnic tables flew out and landed in the parking lot,” he added. “Broken trees and all vegetation shredded.”
Here’s a look at the damage after the storm outside Devils Tower Trading Post on Monday.
(Devils Tower Trading Post)
The NWS said the supercell then tracked east through the Northern Black Hills and onto the plains of western South Dakota and continued to produce large hail, strong winds and heavy rain, before dissipating later in the evening, according to the National Weather Service.
The supercell then tracked eastward into Spearfish, South Dakota.
(Courtesy of Janice Wolfe via NWS)
Devils Tower is a geologic formation that rises out of the prairie near the Black Hills, according to NPS. It is considered sacred by the Northern Plains tribe and other indigenous people. The presence of hundreds of parallel cracks makes it one of the premier crack-climbing areas in North America.
Isolated thunderstorms are possible each day through Friday, the NWS said. A few of the storms may produce hail and strong winds. Critical fire weather conditions are expected Wednesday afternoon and evening across northeastern Wyoming and southwestern South Dakota.
Incumbent Republicans came out on top on Tuesday after several GOP lawmakers beat back their primary challengers — though for some of them, the fight is not over, as they face more challenging contests in November against strong Democratic candidates.
In Florida, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) defeated a Kevin McCarthy-backed challenger, the latest episode in their feud stemming from a Gaetz-led effort to oust the former speaker from the position last year. Several other House members whose races have shifted slightly in favor of Democrats gained their respective challengers Tuesday night, setting up competitive matchups this fall.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) handily defeated his GOP challenger on Tuesday, putting him on an easy path to reelection this fall, as well.
In good news for Democrats, Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) advanced to the general election with two strong Republican contenders at her heels, with all three preparing for the state’s unique ranked-choice voting system that helped the Democratic congresswoman flip the seat for the first time in five decades.
Gaetz defeats McCarthy-backed challenger in final stop for ‘revenge tour’
Gaetz handily defeated Aaron Dimmock, a retired Navy pilot backed by McCarthy allies, on Tuesday night, 72.5% to 27.5% as of 10:03 p.m. with 94% of ballots counted.
Though McCarthy himself did not funnel money into Dimmock’s campaign, the Freedom Patriots PAC, connected to allies of the former speaker, spent $3 million supporting the Navy pilot and attacking Gaetz over investigations into allegations of sex trafficking, sexual misconduct, and illegal drug use.
Despite being outspent nearly 4 to 1, Gaetz came out on top largely thanks to his household name in northern Florida and Republican primary voters’ aversion to McCarthy.
McCarthy’s allies, anticipating that Dimmock would not succeed in ousting Gaetz, are setting their sights on 2026, hoping that the negative ad campaigning against Gaetz would hurt his chances of running for governor. The Florida congressman has said he has no plans to run for the gubernatorial office, but eyes are on him and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) to potentially lead the GOP field for the governor’s mansion.
Gaetz’s victory on Tuesday is a blow to McCarthy as the final stop in his “revenge tour” against the eight House Republicans who voted to oust him as speaker. The other seven GOP lawmakers either won their primaries, ran uncontested, or opted not to run for reelection.
Mary Peltola and three others advance to ranked-choice general election
Peltola and two Republican challengers advanced to the general election on Tuesday night, as Alaska’s primary sends the top four vote-getters to the ballots in November regardless of party.
The Democratic congresswoman received the most votes with 50.9%, followed by Nick Begich with 26.9% and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom with 19.9% with 56% of ballots counted as of 1:20 a.m. A fourth candidate, who has not been selected at the time of this story’s publishing, will move on to the general election, as well.
Other than the three selected, all nine other candidates received less than 1 percentage point in votes. GOP candidate Matthew Salisbury held the highest among the nine with 0.6% of the vote as of 1:20 p.m.
The general election will be ranked-choice voting, a vote-by-preference system in which voters select their first through fourth choices. If a candidate receives 50% or more of first-choice votes in the initial count, they win. If not, the votes will be reallocated based on those eliminated.
This voting process was one of the factors that helped Peltola flip Alaska’s lone House seat Democratic for the first time in 50 years. GOP infighting also helped Peltola’s victory, as the two leading Republican candidates in 2022 focused more on mudslinging each other than campaigning against Peltola. Republicans ultimately failed to consolidate under one candidate, splitting the vote and allowing Peltola to win both the special and general elections in 2022.
This year, Peltola is facing another duo of Republican challengers, though they have tried to keep the attention on Peltola instead of swinging insults at one another.
Prior to the primary, Begich, who ran unsuccessfully against Peltola in 2022, said he would drop out of the race if he came in behind Dahlstrom. Dahlstrom, who is backed by former President Donald Trump and national Republicans, made no such pledge and indicated she will press forward in a statement Wednesday morning Eastern time.
“From day one, this campaign has been about defeating Mary Peltola in November. Tonight’s results show my message of standing up for Alaska’s energy interests, securing the border, and fighting back against the anti-Alaska policies of the Biden-Harris administration is resonating with voters across the state,” Dahlstrom said in a statement. “I was endorsed by President Trump, Governor Dunleavy, and Republican leaders in Alaska and Washington, because I’m the only candidate in this race who can beat Mary Peltola. And that’s exactly what we are going to do in November.”
Peltola holds a significant fundraising advantage over Begich and Dahlstrom. Peltola’s campaign reported having $2.8 million cash on hand as of July 31, compared to Dahlstrom with $317,617 and Begich with $172,548. Peltola’s campaign has raised more than $7.5 million this cycle, compared to Begich’s $983,000 and Dahlstrom’s $912,000.
“Extreme Democrat Mary Peltola talks a good game in Alaska, but her voting record enabled Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the Squad’s liberal agenda destroying Alaska’s future,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. “Actions speak louder than words. Peltola’s failed record made Alaskans poorer and less safe, which is why we are confident Alaskans will flip the seat red again as it was under Don Young.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Begich and Peltola for comment.
Rick Scott gains strong Democratic challenger
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) easily defeated two GOP challengers on Tuesday and will face former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in November. Mucarsel-Powell was ousted in 2020 by Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) and is preparing to make a comeback to Congress, raking in millions of dollars compared to Scott’s coffers.
Federal Election Commission reports on July 31 show Mucarsel-Powell has $4.4 million in her account compared to Scott’s $3.9 million. She raised $14.4 million from donors, with Scott putting in $13.7 million of his own money into the contest. For comparison, Scott spent $63.6 million of his own money in 2018 and barely ousted then-Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
However, polling still shows Scott has a lead in the race, with a recent survey from Florida Atlantic University/Mainstreet Research USA released on Aug. 14 finding Scott ahead of Mucarsel-Powell by 4 percentage points.
Scott’s race will be closely watched in November, particularly as he has already announced he intends to run for Senate Republican leader in the next Congress. Two other GOP senators are interested in the position, currently held by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), as well — but Scott is the only one of the three on the 2024 ballot.
A win from Scott against a strong Democratic challenger could boost his chances of succeeding McConnell, though he will likely face pushback from the longtime Kentucky Republican’s allies. The two men have butted heads since November 2022, after McConnell removed him from the powerful Senate Commerce Committee.
Many Republicans also blamed Scott, who in 2022 was chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, for losses in the midterms that allowed Democrats to capture the majority — a possible thorn in Scott’s side as he competes to lead the GOP conference.
Primary night sets up competitive general election matchups
While some primaries on Tuesday night were not eventful, it does set a handful of incumbents up for a more competitive general election challenge, particularly in Florida.
Florida has three congressional races that are considered competitive: the 13th District, held by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and rated “likely Republican”; the 9th District, held by Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) and rated “likely Democratic”; and the 23rd District, held by Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and rated “likely Democratic.”
The three House members ran uncontested on Tuesday but gained a strong general election competitor that could bring the results in November down to the wire.
A lot is on the line for House Republicans, who are seeking to keep hold of and expand their narrow majority in the upper chamber. For House Democrats, protecting their safe seats is imperative so they can focus more time and resources on swing districts and flip the House back under their control.
Darren Soto – 9th District
Soto, whose 9th District race is given a D+8 advantage, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. He will face former Osceola County School Board member Thomas Chalifoux in November.
Chalifoux defeated GOP challengers John Quinones and Jose Castillo with 49.6% of the vote as of 9:27 p.m. Quinones was a familiar name for voters, as he ran and lost in the 2022 Republican primary to Scott Moore. Moore lost to Soto by over 14,000 votes.
The 9th District became a Hispanic-majority district in 2022 thanks to redistricting. President Joe Biden won Soto’s district with 58% to Trump’s under 41% of the vote, but Moore came within 8 points of defeating Soto last cycle with no solid Republican Party support — meaning national Republicans are eyeing the 9th District as a possible pick-up opportunity for the 2024 cycle.
Anna Paulina Luna – 13th District
Luna’s 13th District drew five Democratic challengers for the primary. The incumbent won in 2022 partially thanks to redistricting that shifted the district to have a more Republican advantage. Despite having an R+6 rating from Cook Political Report, it is one of three congressional races in Florida labeled as competitive.
Whitney Fox defeated her four competitors with 58.1% of the vote as of 9:28 p.m. with 99% of ballots counted. She outraised all of her challengers combined by over $100,000 and ended the quarter with more cash on hand than her opponents at $355,684, according to Federal Election Commission records.
However, Fox is still far behind Luna. The incumbent has nearly $866,000 cash on hand as of the end of June, giving Luna almost a $500,000 advantage over Fox in a general election matchup. Fox has several local, state, and national endorsements, including Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).
A poll from May found Luna with a 5 percentage point advantage over Fox, 51% to 46%.
Jared Moskowitz – 23rd District
Six Republican challengers faced off on Tuesday to compete against Moskowitz for control of the 23rd District in Florida. Joe Kaufman defeated Robert Weinroth, Carla Spaulding, Darlene Cerezo Swaffar, Gary Barve, and Joe Thelusca with 35.5% of the vote as of 10:06 p.m. with 82% of ballots counted.
Kaufman has previous national election experience. He won the GOP primary in 2014, 2016, and 2018 before losing to Wasserman Schultz, who represented the 23rd District before redistricting took place.
Moskowitz defeated Republican Joe Budd with 51.6% of the vote compared to Budd’s 46.8% in 2022. He won by just 5 percentage points, despite Biden winning the district in 2020 by 13 points. The Cook Political Report gives Democrats a +5 advantage in Moskowitz’s race this year.
The Florida Democrat is respected in both parties, with Republicans often conceding he is handling his job representing the district well, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Moskowitz, who is Jewish, became one of the most vocal House Democrats calling for support of Israel as conflicts spread out across college campuses over the Israel-Hamas war.
Maria Elvira Salazar – 27th District
While her race is not considered to be as competitive, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) is representing a once-comfortably blue seat that has trended toward Republicans in recent years. Though Hillary Clinton carried the seat in 2016, Trump won the seat in 2020, allowing Salazar to oust former Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala in 2020.
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Salazar also defeated her 2022 opponent by 15 points, making it unlikely that a Democratic challenger will unseat her this cycle thanks to her large war chest and moderate positions on policy issues like immigration and gay marriage, per Cook Political Report.
The Florida congresswoman defeated GOP challenger Royland Lara with 88.7% of the vote as of 9:54 p.m. Salazar will face Lucia Baez-Geller, who won the nomination with 54.0% of the vote, in the general election. The seat is rated as “likely Republican.”
CODY — The party in control is hardly a question coming into Tuesday’s Wyoming primary election, as the state is one of the reddest in the union. The battles remain contentious, only they’re all taking place within the Republican party.
“There’s almost no ground here left, except ‘I’m more Republican than you’,” said Cody resident Mary Keller on Tuesday.
Keller compared the battles between the centrists and far-right members of the GOP to the nightly rodeos held throughout the summer in Cody.
“It’s not your first rodeo. This election is not our first rodeo. We know how to set up good entertainment,” Keller said.
In the state with Republicans going head-to-head in nearly every race, it’s common to see heated debates over who is more conservative.
MTN News
The Park County Patriots, a group who describe themselves on their website as promoting all candidates for public office who remain faithful to the founding principles in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, have been going door to door handing out sheets filled with names of candidates whom they call “the good guys.”
“We’ve got like 30% of those Republicans who are RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). They say that they’re conservatives to get elected. And then they get in office, and they don’t vote that way. They vote with the Democrats. So the Democrats can win,” said Cody resident Richard Conger on Monday.
MTN News
This is the first election in the state since a law was passed in 2023 making Wyoming a closed primary state, which prevents registered voters from changing their party affiliation at the polls.
“In Wyoming, if you want to have a say in who gets elected, you’re going to be registered as a Republican,” Gerber said. “I think most people who lean that way (Democratic) register as a Republican simply so they can vote in the primary.”
In August 2021, out of 279,807 registered voters in Wyoming, 46,192 voters were Democrats, and 195,452 were Republicans. This month, of the 223,703 registered voters, the Democratic numbers dwindled to 24,751.
“Wyoming is a conservative state, it’s always a conservative state, but it was Wyoming conservative,” Gerber said.
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