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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

And now let's watch rabbits eating some flowers...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, July 21st.  I’m Reece Cowan, filling in for Mac Watson

This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas!

Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism.

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Wyoming Republican Party State Central Committee met Monday, running late into the evening. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports they made the controversial move to endorse candidates for statewide and federal offices. 

“Technically, under state law, the major parties aren't allowed to financially back one candidate over another in the primary election, that has been interpreted as a ban on endorsing candidates. So they passed a bylaw here back in April, flouting the state law, saying we will endorse whom we will endorse. In the meantime, their state central committee meeting Monday evening, unfolded, and they chose to endorse Brent Bean for governor, Harriet Hageman for U.S. Senate and Chuck Gray for U.S. House.”

Delegate Richard George expressed disagreement with the process, saying “If there's anybody in this state that needs to vet the candidates, it's the people. The people are going to do a fine job at it.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"–"}]

Two tourists got dangerously and illegally close to Grand Prismatic Spring on Sunday in Yellowstone. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that Montana resident Tanya Saueressig, who filmed them taking selfies right next to the scalding water, said she "was so furious" she had tears in her eyes. 

“Grand Prismatic Spring is 160 degrees, and it's just over a year ago, that we witnessed a bison fall into the pool and essentially get poached to death. So, it's something to take seriously as a entity. But that wasn't enough to deter two unknown women from strolling straight out there. They were seen walking along the edge of the pool, taking selfies, and really not considering the damage that they were doing with every step.”

Several people have been seriously injured or killed after getting too close to Yellowstone’s thermal features. One would think a high risk of death might be enough to dissuade tourists from tempting their luck.

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A Rock Springs man accused of holding his girlfriend captive for days while torturing her has pleaded not guilty. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that court records allege he warned her: "I will murder your cat. I will murder your family if you get the cops involved." 

“20-four-year-old Jake Canestrini pled not guilty on Thursday to holding his ex-girlfriend captive for several days in Rock Springs, beginning on May 30th until she escaped on June 2nd. Canestrini is being held at the Sweetwater County Detention Center. A jury trial has been scheduled for November. According to investigators, Canestrini held her down, yank her by the hair. He strangled her multiple times and threatened to kill her. Canestrini didn't sleep much. So when he finally fell asleep she was able to run and go get help from one of the neighbors.”

Under Wyoming law, kidnapping is punishable by 20 years to life in prison if the victim is not voluntarily released substantially unharmed in a safe place before trial. 

Rep. Daniel Singh, is an incumbent Republican from Cheyenne and was once a member of the Freedom Caucus. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports he says he’s changed since identifying as a pro-choice, progressive atheist in a recently surfaced 2021 podcast interview saying "People change their minds."

“That features Singh talking to a former friend and podcaster, describing himself as a progressive, as extremely pro-choice, as wanting to legalize hard drugs, he described himself as a stoic and an atheist. And that's contrary to Singh's current presentation of himself frequently quoting scripture on Facebook and voting for pro-life bills every single year, as well as other hot button Republican conservative topics. I asked him 'what is the story with this contrast?' And he said that he has changed. His friend and podcaster doubted that, casting him as an opportunist.”

Singh first won the GOP nomination for House District 61 on Aug. 16, 2022, over two other candidates. He went on to win the general election and was sworn into office in early 2023. He started identifying as a member of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus during his freshman term.

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

A semitrailer caused extensive damage to a bridge over I-80 near Rawlins on Monday morning when it drifted off the pavement, into the median, and took out a concrete support. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that the Westbound lanes of I-80 near the bridge are closed and traffic is being diverted. 

“The semi was traveling westbound, then drifted off the pavement, went through a cable, went through a guardrail, and then the trailer itself embedded on the three concrete pillars supporting this bridge over I 80, and then the semi truck itself got detached and continued going a little bit further. There were two people inside the truck at the time. Neither was seriously injured, or at least they had non life threatening injuries. Somebody who was on the scene said that was more due to luck than anything else.”

A preliminary inspection by WYDOT’s bridge engineers revealed that the damage compromised the integrity of the bridge, but it reopened shortly afterward, and traffic resumed without incident. 

The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities didn't inform the public earlier that Cheyenne's wastewater system was contaminated by a Meta data center because they deemed it a "low risk to public health." Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson reports the agency released a timeline and Q&A on Monday. 

“The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities has finally responded with answers to a lot of questions that people have been asking for the last couple of weeks. They actually released two pretty extensive documents. One was a timeline detailing everything that happened. And then also a Q&A, which they say addresses a lot of questions they have been getting from the community. Probably the thing that's been asked most is about transparency. If there was some kind of contamination in the wastewater system, which is not the city's drinking water, why just let us know at the end of it? Why not let us know when it happened?”

According to the Q&A the answer is simple “BOPU determined there was a low risk to public health, which did not justify a public notification that could result in public panic.”

Fans still pack Buffalo for Longmire Days even nine years after the last “Longmire” TV episode aired. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that Author Craig Johnson created Sheriff Walt Longmire, and said fans "expect Walt Longmire to come walking down the sidewalk and see them at any time."

“These actors who portray the characters in the Longmire universe, they are super accessible during this event. I walked into the Occidental, and there was Robert Taylor sitting at the end of the bar just like a regular guy having a beer, chatting with people who passed by, a lot of people wanted selfies, and he was so gracious about that. I thought it was really cool to see that, and it is part of what attracts people here, is that these guys are accessible. They're willing to talk about Longmire Days all day long.”

In a world where the real-life headlines often feel upside-down, Longmire is offering a universe where decency, fairness and hard work still count. Where justice might be messy, but is never meaningless.  

There are plenty of theories about just how a $5 bill seemed to appear "out of thin air" and float onto the bar at Cheyenne VFW Post 1881. Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson reports that a video from surveillance cameras inside captured the scene.

“People say that there's a ghost at the VFW post here in Cheyenn and they got it on video. Two members of the VFW are standing there at the bar, and seemingly out of nowhere, this $5 bill floats floats out of the air and drops right on the bar, right next to these guys. And the look on these guys' face in the in the video is prices. They look stunned. They turn around, they're looking for for whoever did it, and there's nobody there. I talked to the guys at the bar and they said ‘yeah, a lot of people are trying to explain what happened.’”

If you ask post member Dan Dial, it was the ghost of Darrel Anderson, a longtime VFW member who died about 10 years ago. He said Anderson was just buying Dial another beer for old time’s sake.

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And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Reece Cowan, in for Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

News image 7 21 26

<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Today's headlines include: 
•	GOP Endorses Candidates
•	Semi Plows Into Interstate 80 Bridge
•	Tourists Illegally Walk On Dangerous Thermals

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

The Wyoming Republican Party’s leadership committee endorsed Brent Bien for governor, Chuck Gray for U.S. House, and Harriet Hageman for U.S. Senate during a virtual meeting Monday evening.

The roughly 50-person voting committee also endorsed Rep. Scott Smith in his bid for state treasurer, Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams in her bid for secretary of state, and Rep. Tom Kelly for superintendent of public instruction.

In releasing the endorsements, the party Central Committee’s majority broke recent tradition – and arguably state law – by choosing to back some Republicans over others before the Aug. 18 primary election is final.

While that law references financial backing, state GOP Chair Bryan Miller told members in April it’s been interpreted to bar endorsements too.

But party leadership is waging an ongoing federal legal challenge in an effort to have that state law overturned as a violation of the party’s First Amendment rights.

Proponents of letting the party endorse people pre-primary have called it a move toward freedom. Opponents have called it an “insider” maneuver, or disrespectful to the law or Republican voters.

Numerous members of the roughly 50-member voting body cast “abstain” and “no” votes during roll calls Monday.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be endorsing candidates at all,” said Hot Springs County GOP state committeeman Phil Scheel during a debate on whether to endorse Hageman, a sitting U.S. representative, in her run for U.S. Senate. “So I am going to suggest the group vote down this motion.

State Republican Party Vice-Chair Bob Ferguson, who had chaired the candidate endorsement vetting committee, ruled Scheel’s comment out of order.

The state central committee majority already approved a bylaw calling for vetting and endorsements at its convention in April, so Monday’s discussion should have been on Hageman’s merits, said Ferguson.

Niobrara County GOP Chair Janae Miller typed a comment into the Zoom meeting chat.

“Niobrara county constituents have been vocal in their opposition to endorsing

 no matter their excellent or poor performance,” 

wrote Miller. “They want the voters to decide at the polls.”

No conversation on Hageman’s merits unfolded. She won the endorsement with 32 in favor, five (including Scheel) against and 14 members abstaining.

This followed a vetting process in which the party dispatched questionnaires to statewide candidates, asking whether they agree with the 23 planks of the state GOP platform.

[{"type":"text","text":"U.S. House Race"}]

The body voted 33 in favor, four against, to endorse Gray, who is currently Secretary of State. Fourteen members abstained from the vote.

Fremont County GOP Chair Ginger Bennett had called Gray a “stalwart” who comes to Republican Party events, “and he donates, and donates his time.”

State House Rep. Nina Webber, R-Cody, who also attended the meeting as a voting party member, said Gray has been “instrumental in pushing through a lot of the conservative movements.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Park County GOP Chair Vince Vanata endorsed Gray “wholeheartedly.”"}]

Mitch Benson, a state committeeman from Fremont County, said he endorses Gray but disputes things the candidate has said.

“The only thing I want to throw out is, we still have voter drop boxes in Lander,” said Benson.

Gray has made banning drop boxes one of his priorities, and in 2025 applauded the passage of a law designed to do so.

[{"type":"text","text":"Ferguson called Benson’s commentary not germane."}]

“I’m endorsing him, all I’m saying is a lot of the things Chuck has said about voter integrity and getting rid of voter drop boxes is not true,” said Benson.

[{"type":"text","text":"Miller interjected, saying the three-minute limit for debate had passed."}]

Gray is running in a 10-candidate field for the GOP nomination to U.S. House. He faces philanthropist Steve Friess, state Senate President Bo Biteman, Casper businessman Reid Rasner, Teton County-based attorney Frank Chapman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, Casper-based veterans Kevin Christensen and David Giralt, former legislator Keith Goodenough and Casper man Richard Dodson.

Most candidates completed and submitted those questionnaires to become eligible for the endorsement process. Some did not, like U.S. House candidates Bo Biteman and Keith Goodenough; U.S. Senate candidate Sam Mead; and gubernatorial candidate Eric Barlow.

[{"type":"text","text":"Governor, Secretary, Superintendent"}]

The party committee voted 34-4 with 13 abstaining to endorse Bien for governor. He was part of a consent list with candidates from other races.

The retired Marine Corps colonel faces Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, former state House Speaker and current Sen. Eric Barlow, and Centennial man Curt Blake in his primary bid.

Bien, Blake and Degenfelder all had submitted questionnaires to the party as part of the process.

[{"type":"text","text":"Barlow did not."}]

“I am a Republican, and I agree with the Republican platform,” Barlow said in a statement earlier this month. “But in a contested Republican primary, the voters should decide. I will not seek or accept an endorsement from the Wyoming Republican Party before receiving the votes of Wyoming’s Republican electorate.”

Sheridan County GOP state committeeman Tod Windsor asked the party to make a vote opposing Barlow’s campaign.

“I ask we consider Eric Barlow,” began Windsor – a woman gasped – “someone we’re in opposition to as the party.”

Vanata seconded that. Fremont County state committeewoman and former legislator Sarah Penn said Democrats in her area support Barlow.

[{"type":"text","text":"Benson said Barlow brushed aside a concern he raised earlier this year."}]

Scheel and Teton County GOP Chair Kat Rueckert both raised concerns against the opposition vote. Rueckert worried the Barlow campaign may sue the party.

A Washakie County delegate, Richard George, said opposing Barlow could “diminish” the party if Barlow is elected governor.

Natrona County delegate Marcia Neumiller called it “throwing mud” and urged the party to set a higher example.

“Aaannnnnd, the press is here recording all this,” wrote Nichole Odom in a soon-deleted chat message.

Miller had notified the committee before debate that Cowboy State Daily was present.

Benson uttered a profane comment right after Scheel voted not to oppose Barlow.

It’s uncertain what the comment was. Cowboy State Daily heard it as “f*ck you (inaudible).

Multiple members called Benson out of line. Ferguson warned him not to disrupt the meeting again.

[{"type":"text","text":"The motion failed."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Treasurer, Secretary, Superintendent"}]

The party approved endorsements for state Treasurer candidate Scott Smith, Secretary of State candidate Rachel Williams (also known as Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams) and Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Rep. Tom Kelly.

[{"type":"text","text":"Those were part of the same consent list as Bien."}]

In a separate vote, the party majority voted 12-25 against endorsing current Treasurer Curt Meier in his bid for reelection. Meier had been removed from the consent list after Benson called his aye-vote 

[{"type":"text","text":"Giralt, So Close"}]

Crook County Republican Party Chair Mark Koep asked the committee to vote in favor of supporting, rather than endorsing, Giralt for U.S. House.

“David Girlat didn’t’ meet all the vetting criteria because he doesn’t have enough history in the state,” said Koep, adding that he’s spoken to Giralt and “he seems like a good Republican. But right now I’m kind of guessing, because I don’t have enough history on it.”

Other members called Giralt engaged his military career “impressive.” 

The committee voted 17-18 against extending a gesture of support to Giralt.

Weston County GOP Chair Kari Drost asked the committee to vote against closing the meeting, saying they should consider endorsing Degenfelder.

Benson agreed, saying his precinct committee people are entrusting the state delegates with vetting candidates thoroughly no matter how long it takes.

[{"type":"text","text":"George countered."}]

“I completely disagree with that last comment. I think if there’s anybody in this state that needs to vet the candidates, it’s the people. The people are going to do a fine job at it. We don’t always agree with it,” said George. “But to suggest that people are depending on the party to vet candidates I think is an assumption of power and responsibility that’s not delegated to us.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The committee voted 24-19, nine abstaining, to close the meeting."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Degenfelder’s endorsement bid did not get a hearing."}]

Koep referenced a Cowboy State Daily “author” present in the meeting and suggested a retraction of the headline in a Monday story titled “Candidate Worries Wyoming GOP Doing ‘Pay To Play’ Endorsements.”

Koep said because the party voted against endorsing Meier, “that would fly in the face of that article.”

The story, rather, referenced the fact that, according to emails by party leaders, candidates’ past donations to the party have been approved as one of the vetting committee’s criterion.

It also cited a concern by Christensen that allowing that criterion creates a perception of a “pay to play” endorsement system.

Cowboy State Daily’s reporting drew from the party’s own emails, Christensen’s comments, and other candidates’ comments.

Mix Collage 20 Jul 2026 10 17 PM 6311

<title>Wyoming GOP Endorses Brent Bien, Chuck Gray, And Harriet Hageman | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Wyoming Republican Party leadership endorsed Brent Bien for governor, Chuck Gray for U.S. House, and Harriet Hageman for U.S. Senate on Monday evening. The controversial move breaks current tradition and maybe state law.

Wyoming GOP Endorses Brent Bien, Chuck Gray, And Harriet Hageman

Coy Knobel

Don Day Weather

Mostly sunny in much of Wyoming on Tuesday with chance of rain, breezy and smoky in some areas. Chance of rain overnight. Highs in the 80s and 90s. Lows in the 50s and 60s.

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Patchy smoke, chance of rain mainly after 5 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 95 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 1 a.m., patchy smoke before midnight, a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 91 and becoming cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 1 a.m., patchy smoke before 9 p.m. and a low near 63.

 Patchy smoke, mostly sunny today with a high near 95 and cloudy, gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 10 p.m., patchy smoke before midnight, a low near 66 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

 Chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 86 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 53.

  Patchy smoke after 5 p.m., chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 93 and wind gusts as high as 26 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with rain likely and a low near 58.

Chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 56.

 Patchy smoke before 2 p.m., chance of rain mainly after 4 p.m., increasing clouds today with a high near 88 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 11 p.m. and a low near 54.

 Patchy smoke after 3 p.m., chance of rain mainly after 2 p.m., breezy, gradually becoming sunny today with a high near 91 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke before 10 p.m. and a low near 53.

  Patchy smoke before 11 a.m., chance of rain mainly after 5 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 88 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before midnight and a low near 53.

 Patchy smoke, chance of rain after noon, increasing clouds today with a high near 82 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke before 10 p.m. and a low near 53.

  Patchy smoke, chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 92 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke before 9 p.m. and a low near 54.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Patchy smoke before 1 p.m., chance of rain mainly after 5 p.m., becoming mostly cloudy today with a high near 85 and partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m., patchy smoke before midnight and a low near 47.

Areas of smoke, mostly sunny today with a high near 95 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m., patchy smoke before midnight, a low near 66 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

:  Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., areas of smoke, mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain before 1 a.m., patchy smoke before midnight and a low near 64.

  Slight chance of rain after 5 p.m., areas of smoke, mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain before 1 a.m., patchy smoke before midnight, a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph.

   Areas of smoke, mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke before midnight and a low near 65.

  Mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 93 and cloudy, becoming partly cloudy late overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 61.

:  Mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 91 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 62.

Mostly sunny today with a high near 91 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph. Increasing clouds overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 63 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph.

   Partly sunny today with a high near 88 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. Increasing clouds overnight with rain likely, a low near 65 and wind gusts as high as 26 mph.

:  Mostly sunny today with a high near 83 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with rain likely, a low near 60 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph.

  Mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 94 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Mostly cloudy then gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 67 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

  Mostly sunny today with a high near 88 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 61.

  Mostly sunny, breezy and hot today with a high near 93 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Breezy, cloudy then gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 67 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

   Mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 87 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 61 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

  Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 83 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with a chance of rain before 10 p.m., a low near 57 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

   Chance of rain after noon, increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 89 and wind from 15-20 mph. Cloudy, gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 1 a.m. and a low near 54.

  Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and cloudy then gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 1 a.m. and a low near 59.

  Rain likely today with a high near 88 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 11 p.m. and a low near 55.

   Chance of rain after noon, increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 87 and wind from 15-20 mph. Cloudy then gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 56.

Daycap small 7 21 26

<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Tuesday, July 21, 2026

As the Wyoming Republican Party breaks recent tradition — and arguably state law — to vet and endorse certain candidates before the primary election this year, some candidates are refusing to participate.

An at least one U.S. House candidate, Kevin Christensen, fears the process has devolved into a pay-to-play system. Christensen forwarded Cowboy State Daily a Friday email state GOP executive director Ginger Bennett sent on the party’s behalf, listing “Past donations to the State or County parties” as part of the endorsement vetting criteria the GOP state central committee has approved.

Christensen had participated in the vetting process by sending back the party's questionnaire, which consists of yes-or-no blanks for indicating whether one agrees with each of the 23 state platform planks. Christensen agrees with the planks altogether, his questionnaire says. 

The vetting committee declined to call for his endorsement, Bennett’s email indicates.  

“I am disappointed that the Republican Party would choose to adopt criteria for evaluation candidates that are not explicitly authorized in Article 2 of their bylaws; and that those criteria would include contributions as a measure of, presumably, your loyalty to the party,” he said. “Creating a perception, at least for me, that we now have a pay-to-play system for an endorsement.”

Christensen is running against nine other candidates for GOP nomination to Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat.

The primary election, set for Aug. 18 this year, allows the voters who are registered Republican and Democrat to choose their respective nominees in each partisan office. Wyoming doesn’t let its major parties nominate candidates.

State law also bars the major parties from financially backing one of their registrants over another during the primary cycle.

The state party’s endorsement process of this year, if it involves any expense, may violate that law.

However, the state party is currently waging a federal legal litigation attempt to have that law overturned. It cites noteworthy case law upholding other major parties’ functions as First Amendment rights.

[{"type":"text","text":"The case is ongoing."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Some Loyalists, Some Caveats"}]

Eight U.S. House candidates turned in a questionnaire the party sent them. The questionnaire consists of yes-or-no blanks under each of the state party’s 23 platform planks, as well as lines reserved for additional comment.

Christensen, philanthropist Steve Friess, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, Casper businessman Reid Rasner, military veteran David Giralt, and Teton County-based attorney Frank Chapman all marked 100% agreement with the party’s platform.

Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow marked one no, on a plank declaring state primacy over lands in Wyoming that were unappropriated to the state when it entered the union.

“I do not support selling or transferring federal land to the State,” she wrote. Balow agreed with plank 8’s assertion that “Marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman,” but noted in a caveat that current law doesn’t say that.

State Senate President Bo Biteman didn’t send the party back its questionnaire. Neither did Casper-based candidate Keith Goodenough.

Biteman said in a Monday text message, “I can remember when Republicans criticized Democrats for having party insiders and power brokers trying to pick nominees from the top down. I don’t think we should become what we used to criticize.”

“My focus is on earning the support of Wyoming voters, not on internal party politics,” said Biteman, adding that the party should be working to grow its ranks, not predetermine the primary election outcome. “At the end of the day, I trust the voters.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"… And The Spicy One"}]

Richard Dodson sent back a questionnaire full of caveats. He’s not alone in feeling that the platform contains many inconsistencies: that’s 

 GOP candidates during the questionnaire rollout.

The first plank says “All individuals are endowed by their Creator from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death with the rights to Life, Liberty, Property and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Dodson marked agreement. But, he added, “I think vesting property rights at conception is opening a big can of worms.”

Other Republicans have voiced concern with how plank 1’s language suggests opposition to the death penalty.

Plank 23 says “The Wyoming Republican Party opposes any federal takeover or interference of federal, state, or local elections.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Dodson agrees, his questionnaire says."}]

“Which is why I’m puzzled by the sheer number of Wyoming Republicans who support the SAVE Act which is the most egregious takeover attempt of state election authority I’ve ver (sic) seen,” he wrote. “What’s up with that?”

Dodson told Cowboy State Daily in a Monday phone interview that he “didn’t expect much” from this process but is filling out all questionnaires so that he can get voters’ attention in the crowded race. His brand of Republican is “pragmatic,” he said, and he’s finding a base for it.

“I answered the questions based off my true thoughts without much regard to whether anybody else would like them,” said Dodson.

Gabe Saint manages Gray’s campaign, but he spoke to Cowboy State Daily on Monday in his individual capacity.

He’s voiced repeated concerns via Facebook that the party plans to endorse more than one U.S. House candidate.

[{"type":"text","text":"He declined to say Monday what informs those concerns."}]

“The Wyoming Republican party is the best GOP in the  nation,” said Saint. “I think it’s very representative of the people of Wyoming, and I just want to see the party and the grassroots movement rally behind our conservative candidates and only do one endorsement. Don’t split any votes; just take everything to the finish line.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Gray did not respond by publication to an email request for comment."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Veteran"}]

Bennett’s email telling Christesen he wouldn’t be getting the endorsement had listed other criteria besides donations to the party.

For example, it listed past donations to other parties or candidates, previous involvement with party committees, and legislative record breakdowns according to various sites. Those sites include Washington-DC-based Club for Growth Foundation.

As the Wyoming Republican Party breaks recent tradition — and arguably state law — to endorse candidates before the primary, some won't participate. “We now have a pay-to-play system for an endorsement,” one candidate worried aloud.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 25, 2023

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