Out-of-state money continues to pour into the Republican U.S. House race between frontrunners Rep. Liz Cheney and Harriet Hageman, but Hageman had a much more successful second quarter when it came to individual contributions from Wyoming voters.
Federal Election Commission reports show Hageman is dominating Cheney when it comes to funding from in-state donors, raising nearly three times as much as the incumbent over the duration of the campaign with $993,252, about 25% of her total campaign funding. Cheney has earned $338,628 from Wyoming donors.
California Gold
California continues to be the largest donor pool for Cheney with $1.2 million coming to her from the Golden State over the course of the campaign, $290,742 of that in the second quarter of the year.
In the second quarter, which ran from April 1 through June 30, Wyoming contributors gave Cheney $83,292 while Virginia donors gave her $84,386.
Virginia, the state where Cheney spent a significant portion of her life before moving to Wyoming, has given her $828,537 over the course of the campaign. Cheney has received a total of $308,628 from Wyoming residents.
Wyoming residents gave Hageman $450,158 in the second quarter of the year. It was a record quarter for Hageman’s in-state fundraising efforts, increasing her campaign’s share of in-state contributions by 11%. Wyoming is the largest funding source for the Hageman campaign.
Florida has been Hageman’s biggest source of out-of-state funding with $303,218. She made $91,235 from Florida in the second quarter.
Melinda Gates, former wife of billionaire Bill Gates, gave $5,800 to Cheney’s campaign, one of three people to give the maximum contribution to Cheney in the second quarter. Eight people gave Hageman a $5,800 contribution during the second quarter.
Fellow GOP House candidate state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, is in third place for campaign funding in the race with a total of $620,474 raised.
Dwindling
Bouchard’s campaign donations have been dwindling since Hageman entered the race and received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Bouchard only received $8,578 in the second quarter.
On the Democrat side, Lynette GreyBull is the only candidate who has submitted finance information for the second quarter. Her reports showed her raising $500 in the second quarter, which is her total for the entire campaign. She has spent $2,257.
PACs
A new major political action committee has also entered the race on behalf of Hageman, according to FEC reports. Save Wyoming gave $115,544 to her campaign. The PAC is based in Cheyenne, but Massachusetts resident Jason Young is listed as its treasurer. It has raised $184,050 since it started in May. It is associated with former President Donald Trump’s Save America PAC.
Save America gave $5,000 directly to the Hageman campaign in December and $500,000 to Wyoming Values in April, a PAC working on Hageman’s behalf.
Secretary of State Ed Buchanan gave $500 to Save Wyoming. Casper resident Doris McMurry was the largest contributor to the group with $17,000, while Ron McMurry gave $10,800.
State legislative candidates Bob Ide ($1,500) and Ben Hornok ($500) also gave to the PAC, as did former state legislator Marti Halverson, who gave $2,000.
Great Task PAC, working on behalf of Cheney, gave $154,600 to her campaign in the second quarter. Two contributors gave the maximum $10,800 to the PAC during the quarter. The PAC has spent $1.02 million since August 2021.
Cheney has received $904,445 directly from outside PACs and other campaigns, while Hageman’s campaign has directly received $133,700. The House Freedom Fund PAC gave $55,988 directly to the Hageman campaign in the second quarter.
Hageman has raised $3.8 million during the campaign and spent $2.6 million. Cheney has raised $13.06 million and spent $6.2 million, leaving her with $6.9 million in cash on-hand.
While $6.9 million might seem substantial, it does not amount to much in a presidential race. Some have speculated Cheney might run for president in 2024, possibly against Trump, who has $101 million in his PAC.
A Tampa Bay publication has announced that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen as a possible presidential candidate as well, has raised $56.2 million in his campaign for re-election as governor.
