Although the 2024 presidential election is still nearly a year and a half away, many Wyoming residents are already lining up behind their chosen candidates, and public records show some big donors are getting behind them with their checkbooks.
It’s not surprising that most of that financial support so far is for former President Donald Trump, who has already announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican nomination. Wyoming overwhelmingly supported Trump with 70% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020.
Since the beginning of 2022, Wyoming residents have donated $488,923 to various campaigns directly supporting Trump.
State Treasurer Curt Meier has been busy giving donations to former President Donald Trump. In 2022, he gave a total of $10,140 to various campaigns supporting Trump. So far this year, he has donated an additional $2,488.87 to the former president.
Over the past 18 months, Gore-Tex heiress Susan Gore of Cheyenne gave nearly $11,000 to campaigns supporting Trump’s new bid for president.
Fellow Jackson donors John and Karen Kemmerer each gave $5,000 to Trump’s Save America Political Action Committee in 2022. This PAC used some of its money to support Trump-endorsed candidates during the 2022 election cycle.
The Kemmerers have given a combined $247,800 to the Republican National Committee and $13,000 to the Wyoming Republican Party in 2023. They also gave $25,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
These numbers are only topped by what Casper resident Gary Hyzdu donated to Trump in 2022, giving a total of $14,500 to campaigns supported by the former president. Hyzdu has given $3,300 so far in 2023.
Laramie resident Colin Kaltenbach gave $13,427 to Trump in 2022, and Jackson resident George Norsworthy gave $7,506.
Wyoming Republican Party Secretary Donna Rice has given $288 so far to Trump in 2023.
What About Biden?
President Joe Biden’s campaign has not released any substantial finance information at this time, and it’s not known if he’s received any financial support from Wyoming or how much.
Wyoming, one of the reddest states politically, has seen residents also giving much smaller amounts to other Republican candidates.
Robert Grady of Wilson and Moose resident John Faraci each gave $6,600 to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Vivek Ramaswamy has received $750 from two Wyoming donors. Ramaswamy is an Ohio businessman who also has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Since the campaigns for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were announced after the first quarter deadline, it is unknown which Wyoming donors have given to their campaigns and how much.
It was announced Thursday that Kennedy hauled in $3 million in a three-day stretch before the second-quarter filing deadline.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
