Wyoming
Wyoming’s Republican Factions Face Off For Battleground GOP Primary
When Republican voters show up to vote in the primary election this August, they’ll get a choice between candidates that likely fall into one of two camps.
Those who generally support most of the bills that have passed out of the Wyoming Legislature the last few years and the leadership of the body will likely vote for a candidate supported by or in alignment with the Republican Wyoming Caucus.
Voters seeking a vivid change to the makeup of a Legislature they believe to be compromised by Republicans failing to adhere to the party’s more conservative values will likely vote for a candidate supported by or in support of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
It’s been less than a week since the Legislature adjourned and at least seven candidates for the Legislature around the state have already formally announced they are running for election or reelection this year. Many more are expected to declare their candidacy in the coming weeks with a May 31 filing deadline looming.
How the Freedom Caucus decides which new candidates to support will require a vetting process, said its chairman state Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette.
“We’ll have to vet some of these candidates to see if they’re aligned with us, and if they are, we’ll probably support them in some way,” he said. “The idea is to get the Legislature to be more red, so if that’s possible by endorsing candidates we’ll probably look at doing that.”
The Plans
Rep. Barry Crago, R-Buffalo, said the Wyoming Caucus he supports wants to focus on electing “good Wyoming people” that represent conservative values. What this means to Crago is people who have spent some time in the state and used this time to immerse themselves into serving their local communities and understanding what their neighbors want.
“People that care about Wyoming,” Crago said about candidates the Wyoming Caucus will support. “This isn’t about (Washington) D.C. politics, it’s about doing what’s best for our communities back home. Those are the people we want to elect.”
Crago said Wyoming has developed a “move-in politician problem.” About a third of the Freedom Caucus are not Wyoming natives and two new candidates who recently announced they are running for the House in Johnson and Sheridan counties moved into the state within the last five years.
“People want to move here and immediately run for office and bring their D.C.-style politics with them,” Crago said. “We don’t need that in Wyoming.”
Rebekah Fitzgerald, treasurer for the Wyoming Caucus political action committee that supports the similarly named group, believes members of the Freedom Caucus often simply reject bills rather than working to find an acceptable compromise on them, something she said will be a campaign issue this election season.
“We want thoughtful candidates that are solutions-based driven and also representing their constituency-base to the best that they can,” she said.
Fitzgerald considers the upcoming election a “battle” of the two caucuses over ideological perspectives, what good legislation looks like and how to go about passing it.
“We are going to be in that spot of trying to pick up people that are more supportive of that solutions-based approach, versus that rhetoric-based approach,” she said.
Closing In On Majority
The work of the 67th Legislature, and particularly its recently completed budget session, will likely frame many of the campaign narratives this spring and summer. The Freedom Caucus also looks to build on the growth and momentum it’s seen over the past few years.
Bear said he was very disappointed by the overall spending that made it into the $11 billion biennial budget.
It shows “that we’re still spending way beyond what is necessary,” he said. “I think at a time when people are suffering, that’s just not good governance.”
He said the Freedom Caucus made some progress on social issues in the 2024 session, but attributed that success to it being an election year and people voting to look good for their constituents. The Freedom Caucus has about 26 members and is outnumbered by a small margin within the Republican Party in the House.
That makes this election season an important one for Wyoming Republicans and the Freedom Caucus, which could realistically secure a majority in the House by picking up six seats. Including the five House Democrats who usually vote in line with the Wyoming Caucus, the Freedom Caucus is at a 36-26 disadvantage. Picking up five seats would mean a 31-31 tie on votes with Democrats voting with the Wyoming Caucus, and six seats would mean a 32-30 Freedom Caucus edge.
Property Tax Gap
When it comes to property tax relief, Bear believes the legislation that passed disproportionately benefits people who own large homes or a significant amount of property. He’s frustrated that around $700 million was put into savings, while only $200 million to $250 million is being dedicated to property tax relief.
“The leadership continues to believe that the state putting taxpayers’ money into their own savings account is better than leaving it in the hands and pockets of the taxpayers,” he said.
One of the biggest arguments made against some of the more sweeping property tax relief measures supported by some members of the Freedom Caucus is that they would cause too large of an impact on local schools and governments.
“That’s not conservative and it’s certainly not a Republican value,” Bear said.
Crago has a different outlook on how the session went, and believes the budget and other bills passed provided property tax relief, new opportunities for educational school accounts, strengthened parental rights, and increased funding for mental health.
“I believe we did a good job on sending some relief and reform back to the people of Wyoming,” he said.
The Battleground
Bear said his group will look to support a candidate in House District 20 in Sublette County, where current House Speaker Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale, has said he will not run for reelection.
“There’s what I would call low-hanging fruit, there’s an open seat there and we’ll try to participate in that effort,” he said.
He also said they will look to bring more awareness to legislative leadership elections.
Sommers and Senate President Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, made numerous decisions over the last two years that determined the overall fate of legislation and representation on certain committees.
In the House, there could be a potential race for the next speaker between Majority Floor Leader Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, and Speaker Pro Temp Rep. Clark Stith, R-Rock Springs.
Neiman is a member of the Freedom Caucus and Stith one of the vocal faces of the Wyoming Caucus.
“If you want status quo, then you should elect people who have been running this for the last couple decades,” Bear said. “If you want to find change, you’re going to have to find candidates that are interested in change, who will elect leaders who are interested in change.”
As far as deciding whether to support new candidates, Bear said the Freedom Caucus will need to see which legislators do and don’t run for reelection and which newcomers throw their hats in the ring.
Crago said he expects the Wyoming Caucus to support incumbents and newcomers.
“There’s a lot of incumbents that have done a good job that we want to help because they’ve done well for Wyoming and will continue to do well for Wyoming,” he said. “But there’s new people that are willing to run for office that could do that as well.”
Fitzgerald takes a little more pessimistic perspective and believes the current political environment discourages well-qualified people from running for office for the first time.
“It’s unfortunate because at the end of the day the Wyoming Legislature is a citizen’s legislature,” she said. “We need people from all walks of life and perspectives to step up.”
She’s unsure how the Wyoming Caucus will support even some of its leading members, but expects her group to put a particular emphasis on supporting those like Stith and Crago who may have a target on their backs because of the prominent, public-facing role they’ve played in the caucus.
“They’re put forward as painting what the opposite of what the Freedom Caucus is,” she said. “These people are visible because they are leaders and they’re getting things done. That draws opinions and we understand that.”
What About The Senate?
Although Bear said the Freedom Caucus doesn’t plan to formally support or endorse Senate candidates, Fitzgerald said the Wyoming Caucus is open to doing so as she believes the Freedom Caucus also influences this chamber.
“When that means supporting Senate candidates that are more thoughtful in their approach and looking more to the future with how we build out infrastructure and have those conversations, we’re going to support people like that on the Senate side,” she said.
In their end-of-year 2023 campaign filing report, the Wyoming Caucus PAC reported a significantly larger war chest for the upcoming elections with a balance of $126,041, compared to the $29,025 the Freedom Caucus PAC had in the bank.
Bear said he’s unsure if the Washington, D.C.-based State Freedom Caucus Network, which the Wyoming group is aligned with, will provide any financial support for the 2024 races, but he expects most of the fundraising efforts to be local.
“I have not had those conversations with the Network,” he said.
He sees his caucus’ mission as providing truthful information to voters and will kick off what he describes as the first of a “plethora” of virtual town halls this election season Thursday night, recapping the budget.
“We’ll be out there quite vocal,” Bear said. “We intend to get the word out as to what our members stand for and what we as an organization are prepared to do for the people of Wyoming.”
Leo Wolfson can be reached at Leo@CowboyStateDaily.com.
Wyoming
Hoping to draw Colorado interest, construction begins at $80M betting facility in Laramie County
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Foundation work is beginning this week on Wyoming’s next horse betting and gaming house.
The $80 million Wyoming Downs facility in Laramie County, one of two the company is investing in over the next couple of years, is poised to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the state. The company is aiming for a spring 2027 opening.
The facility will host upwards of 600 historic horse racing machines, Wyoming’s largest TV wall, multiple dining options and more across 58,000 square feet. More land was bought for future hotel development. Commuters driving between Cheyenne and the Colorado border can see clearly from Interstate 25 the expansive development.
That placement along the travel corridor is purposeful, Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing President Kyle Ridgeway said.
“I think that the targeted consumer for this is from Colorado or from the Front Range,” Ridgeway said. “I anticipate we’re going to have plenty of people from Cheyenne come down here to play and enjoy the amenities, but when you look at 600,000 people within a 30-minute drive, that’s what justifies this investment and brings all that tax revenue in from another state, which is fantastic.
“We don’t get the opportunity to do that in Wyoming very often.”
There is still plenty to offer Cheyenne residents besides the facility’s amenities. Ridgeway said in a speech to attendees at the project’s groundbreaking Tuesday, June 2, that more than 150 permanent jobs will be supported by the facility on top of the dozens supported by the companies’ corporate offices and the 400-plus involved in the project’s construction.
Groathouse Construction, a Wyoming business, is the project’s general contractor. Wyoming Downs said it believes putting the project in local hands also helps keep the project uniquely Wyoming-focused.
Ridgeway added the facilities have already proven themselves to be effective tax revenue generators for the local governments. The Wyoming Gaming Commission’s 2025 report, released in late May, shows bettors wagered $2.49 billion on historic horse racing machines last year, a jump from the $2.11 billion wagered in 2024.
Wyoming Downs facilities generate roughly $25 million in taxes annually across the state, and Ridgeway estimated after the ceremony that the upcoming $80 million facility alone will generate an additional $3 million for Laramie County once the property has been in operation for a few years.
Horse betting sites have been increasingly popping up across Wyoming this decade. The Wyoming Downs location will be Cheyenne’s second large-scale horse betting facility since 2024, when the 30,000-square-foot Horse Palace at Swan Ranch opened. Ridgeway said Wyoming Downs is still offering something fresh for tourists and residents.
“This’ll have amenities that Swan Ranch doesn’t have, including the largest TV wall in Wyoming and a pretty super-cool sports viewing area with a restaurant and just a level of finish and class that I don’t think Wyoming has quite seen yet with these types of properties,” he said.
Ridgeway said he thinks resident fatigue with these facilities isn’t as strong as it appears, especially given the tourism benefits of off-track betting.
“Wyoming’s been built on mineral extraction and tourism, and what this is is a touristic facility. I’m not aware of any particular pushback about this specific facility outside of — you see random social media comments where people say, ‘Oh, another gambling facility.’ But where this is located, I think people in Cheyenne have generally been supportive of,” he said.
The Laramie County facility will be just one part of a larger project Wyoming Downs is working on over the next few years. Construction will begin in early 2027 on a similar facility in Evanston looking to draw in Utah and western Colorado crowds.
Some of the company’s current facilities, notably in Casper, Cheyenne and Rock Springs, will see millions poured into renovations as well. New smaller-scale parlors will also go up in Gillette and Green River this year, according to an information packet provided by the company.
More details will come as the construction process develops, Ridgeway said. Details about amenities, such as what the complex’s dining options will look like, remain undisclosed, though Ridgeway promised that options will be “excellent.”
“We haven’t made final selections on what the options are, but we have a number of different options on the table that we’re considering for what we want to offer for the customers,” Ridgeway said. “You have to have something that’s high quality for where this is located. If somebody’s going to drive 25 or 35, or even 45 minutes to come here, they got to be able to sit down and have a quality meal.”
For more information as it becomes available and to learn more about Wyoming Downs facilities and 307 Horse Racing‘s events and offerings, see the companies’ websites. Renderings for the upcoming Cheyenne facility commissioned by the company are available for viewing below.
Related
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Two of the Republican candidates for Wyoming governor, Megan Degenfelder and Brent Bien, went head to head in Campbell County this evening. They both highlighted differences in some areas but agreed on energy, public lands, government oversight, abortion and election security.
Degenfelder, Wyoming’s superintendent of public instruction, introduced herself as “a Wyoming ranch kid whose parents clawed their way into the middle class” and said she believes Wyoming is “worth fighting for” because she believes the Wyoming people’s lives are at stake.
Bien, a retired Marine Corps colonel and combat veteran, pointed to his military career and leadership experience.
“My whole adult life has been about leadership, about principled conservative leadership,” he said. “My objective is to restore principled conservative leadership, accountability and discipline to Cheyenne.”
Nuclear energy
Both candidates supported Wyoming’s role in energy production but opposed bringing outside nuclear waste into the state.
“I do not want Wyoming to be … the permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. I will not allow that to happen on my watch,” Bien said.
Degenfelder said Wyoming should consider nuclear power as part of its energy future but added, “If it works for us to be able to have nuclear as part of the portfolio, then it has to be right for Wyoming and that is ensuring that we do not accept anyone else’s waste, period.”
Public lands
The candidates also opposed privatization of public lands.
“No one loves public lands more than I do,” Degenfelder said. “You start selling that to the highest bidder, Wyoming loses who we are.”
Bien said he is “absolutely opposed” to federal lands being sold to private interests.
“If they do decide to dispose of it, then we as the state of Wyoming should get first-right refusal at no cost,” he said.
Attorney general and judicial appointments
When asked what each would be looking for in an attorney general and judicial appointment, both candidates called for conservative leadership.
Bien said he would seek an attorney general from outside state government.
“I want a clean set of eyes to look at what everything’s been that’s been going on,” he said. “I want someone who will put people first and it will put Wyoming first.”
Degenfelder said she wants stronger advocacy from state agencies.
“I want a bulldog in not just the attorney general’s office, but in all state agencies,” she said. “I want an attorney general that is so aligned to my mission and vision and what I believe that there’s an amicus brief on my desk the next morning after an action takes place.”
Immigration
Both candidates supported stronger immigration enforcement.
Bien explained he wanted to cooperate with ICE “to the fullest extent possible” and to make sure immigrants who are not in the United States legally would be sent out of the state.
Degenfelder said illegal immigration is already affecting communities in Wyoming.
“If you’re here legally, you got nothing to worry about. If you aren’t, it’s time to go home,” she said.
Energy development and green energy
Energy policy generated some of the sharpest comments of the night.
Degenfelder argued renewable energy projects should compete without government support.
“I’m also an economist and so I’ll tell you the way that you kill these green energy, you make them play on the same playing field,” she said. “No more tax subsidies, no more handouts, ensuring the regulatory environment is just as equal.”
Bien took a firmer stance against renewable development.
“Folks, there’s no place in Wyoming for this green energy,” he said. “I want these things bonded up front and where we’re not paying for these like we did all the gas wells. The answer for me is absolutely, unequivocally no.”
Economic development
Degenfelder argued government should focus on infrastructure such as water and sewer systems rather than directing economic development.
“Government does not create jobs. Private business does,” she said.
Bien echoed that sentiment.
“The only business that government has in business is simply to get out of the way. It’s to cut taxes. It’s to deregulate,” he said. “Right now, we’re turning into state capitalism where we have our own state government picking winners and losers.”
Government audits
Both candidates supported increased auditing of state government.
“This state has not done a full-blown budgetary audit since 1989,” Bien said. “Whoever’s belly-aching loudest is going to get audited first.”
Degenfelder agreed.
“We should be auditing every single state agency, every single budget line all the time,” she said. “Government is a beast, and you need someone in there who can tame it and who knows how to do it.”
Abortion
Abortion was another topic where both candidates expressed strong opposition.
“Life starts at conception and there are no exceptions,” Degenfelder said. “We are now one of the most openly abortion states in the country because of that ruling by the Supreme Court. We’re working against the devil here.”
Bien also opposed abortion.
“Folks, for me, there are no exceptions. Life does begin at conception,” he said.
Election integrity
Bien advocated for hand-counting ballots.
“I am very much a proponent of hand tabulation being the primary method of counting all cast paper ballots and I will push that way,” he said.
Degenfelder called for paper ballots statewide.
“Every single ballot should be a paper ballot,” she said, adding that she supports “banning dropboxes.”
Republican platform
Both candidates pledged support for the Wyoming Republican Party platform.
“80% is a no-brainer, and we need to require that out of our elected officials,” Degenfelder said.
Bien said he expects to be held to “100%” of the platform.
“The party’s been co-opted. You have to have an ‘R’ behind your name to win in this state,” he said.
Candidate priorities
During a segment where candidates selected their own discussion topics, Degenfelder highlighted school choice, career and technical education, removing pornography from school libraries and protecting Wyoming’s water rights.
Bien focused on education and agriculture, criticizing student proficiency rates and proposing policies aimed at strengthening Wyoming’s agricultural industry, including declaring agriculture critical infrastructure and reducing regulations on small butcheries.
Technology and education
Although technology and its place within education was not discussed during the debate, County 17 asked both Degenfelder and Bien their thoughts regarding student technology in schools.
Bien said technology is being used too much in classrooms and is making it harder for students to think on their own.
“What it’s doing is it’s dumbing down our kids,” Bien said. “Our kids aren’t learning how to critically think anymore. They go straight to one of the AI things and it generates an answer for them.”
Degenfelder said she backed a bill to ban cellphones during instruction time.
“I supported a bill that came through the legislature a couple of years ago that actually would ban cell use during instructional time, and I stand by that,” Degenfelder said. “I think that it’s appropriate to take cellphones out of classrooms, and what we find is that kids thrive.”
Closing statements
In closing remarks, Bien emphasized his experience as an outsider candidate.
“I am the only outsider in this race, but I am the only one who’s got an inordinate amount of leadership experience,” he said. “Folks, you deserve a government that you can trust.”
Degenfelder pointed to her endorsements from President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman.
“I get asked a lot, ‘How did you get the Trump endorsement?’” Degenfelder said. “The answer is really simple. I earned it.”
Alongside other candidates, Bien and Degenfelder will be competing for support in Wyoming’s Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 18.
Related
-
Sports3 minutes agoAJ Brown trade outcome: Dianna Russini paid a heavy price while Mike Vrabel emerged unscathed
-
Technology6 minutes agoCould your Samsung phone replace your passport?
-
Business11 minutes agoRent-hike ban to protect fire victims ends despite gouging concerns
-
Entertainment18 minutes agoTwo of music’s most powerful executives maxed out donations to Spencer Pratt
-
Lifestyle21 minutes agoVintage-obsessed millennial parents are driving L.A.’s booming kids’ clothing resale market
-
Politics26 minutes agoEarly returns indicate L.A. County voters have doubts about healthcare sales tax measure
-
Sports36 minutes agoNelly Korda, Michelle Wie West and more: Who to watch at U.S. Women’s Open
-
World48 minutes agoEU launches major tech push to break US and China dependence
