By Leo Wolfson, State Politics Reporter
Leo@Cowboystatedaily.com
Walking out of the polling center at the Kiwanis Community House, 4603 Lions Park Drive in Cheyenne, draped in a black overcoat and a turquoise scarf tightly wound around her neck Tuesday morning, Republican U.S. House candidate Harriet Hageman wondered aloud if someone would ask her who she voted for.
It was a lighthearted moment to a more than yearlong campaign that, at times, was anything but.
Hageman’s primary battle with U.S. Rep. Cheney was fierce and featured weighty Wyoming and national political issues of election security, former President Donald Trump and the best way to represent Wyoming. All were key points where Hageman and Cheney greatly differed.
Focus On Jan. 6
Hageman also accused the media of being obsessed with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, criticizing Wyoming PBS for asking two consecutive questions about the attack during a televised debate in June.
Her race with Cheney was one of the most-watched Republican congressional races in the country. Hageman, who is endorsed by Donald Trump, echoed the former president’s sentiments about the 2020 election, calling it “rigged” and a “travesty.”
On Tuesday morning, Hageman found herself at the finish line, just one of the many thousands of voters casting their votes in Wyoming as part of their civic duty. An elections official asked Hageman for her name, and Hageman joked that she hoped she was still registered with the Republican Party.
“It took quite an amount of work. I’m excited to be here,” Hageman told Cowboy State Daily.
What Has She Been Up to?
Since the primary election, Hageman’s race against Democrat Lynette Grey Bull has been much quieter, with few shots levied between the two. Hageman declined to participate in a Wyoming PBS debate in early October that would have served as the only moment of direct interaction between the candidates.
But Grey Bull detached from this trend Tuesday morning, indirectly referring to Hageman as a “coward.”
“Wyoming doesn’t need a coward, they need a leader,” Grey Bull posted on Facebook, imploring people to go to the polls and vote for her. “Harriett Hageman refused to show up to debate me and my fellow candidates. She also would attack women’s rights such as the right to abortions. She also would fight against fair and free elections.”
Hageman has spent significant time since the primary election traveling around Wyoming and visiting with people, as she did earlier in the campaign.
“People are concerned with the open border and the conflicts there,” she said. “Inflation, gas prices, crime – that’s become a bigger issue in the last few months.”
COVID Hangover
She also said COVID-19 is still a prevalent issue in people’s minds, even though nearly all of the restrictions and shutdowns related to the pandemic were removed more than a year ago.
“People are still extremely angry about the shutdowns that happened because of that,” Hageman said. “They want to make sure that never happens again.”
Although Hageman holds a 36% lead over Grey Bull, according to a recent University of Wyoming poll, Hageman’s campaign manager Carly Miller said the purpose of these campaign trips was to ask for people’s votes.
“The purpose was to talk to voters, ask for their support,” Miller said.
Support For Other Republicans
Hageman also has spent the fall traveling around the country campaigning for other Republican congressional candidates and giving large sums of money to their campaigns. She said the experience has been valuable for building connections and laying the groundwork for her likely upcoming first term.
In various media Hageman has released, she has aligned herself with the platforms of U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-
Wyoming, in criticizing and blaming President Joe Biden’s administration for inflation and high gas prices.
“The Biden administration has an absolute disdain for the Wyoming economy and way of life,” she said, specifically mentioning Biden’s recent claim that he will shut down coal production in America.
When it comes to the size of the “red wave” expected to hit the country Tuesday, Hageman offered an optimistic prediction, saying she expects Republicans to take a majority in the U.S. House and also take a few new seats in the U.S. Senate.
“I think it’s going to be big,” she said.
