U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman has announced she’ll run for reelection this fall to a second term in Congress.
One of her main motivations, she said in her Thursday announcement, is fighting the “wretchedness” of President Joe Biden's administration and what she calls its “ceaseless attempts” to interfere in the lives of Americans.
It’s an interference she said she’s been fighting after being elected in 2022.
“I held Biden administration officials accountable, questioning them on their government-imposed wretchedness in the form of energy poverty, the criminals and terrorists flooding our southern border, and the blatant overreach and violation of our constitutional rights by our own federal agencies,” she said in a press release.
Hageman has made a name for herself in conservative circles for pressing certain Biden administration officials like Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Director Steven Dettelbach with blistering questions during committee hearings. On Wednesday, she called Mayorkas “the walking, talking, epitome of a tyrant.”
She also has frequently lamented what she sees as a weaponization of the federal government to target and censor citizens’ First and Fourth Amendment rights.
Local Issues
When it comes to Wyoming-centric issues, Hageman has held frequent town halls around the state to learn what residents care about most.
In response, Hageman said she has made efforts to delist the grizzly bear from the Endangered Species Act and defund a controversial BLM Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs area, both passing the House.
“I was also proud to support our House priorities in passing the POWER Act and COAL Act to protect our Wyoming industries, the Parents Bill of Rights to codify their right to raise their children, and the strongest border security package ever passed through the House,” she said.
What’s Next?
On Wednesday, Hageman visited the southern border on a trip with other House Republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson. Hageman announced on Twitter after, she now wants to shut the border down, which she considers her first top priority once Congress reconvenes Monday.
After that, she wants to impeach Mayorkas “and all other admin cronies” for their handling of the immigration situation at the border and “enabling this humanitarian crisis under their watch.”
Last April, however, Hageman voted for a bill that would have cut funding for Border Patrol operations by $4 billion.
Hageman said the 2024 election will be critical for helping Republicans gain back control of the White House and U.S. Senate, the latter of which Republicans haven’t held a majority since 2020.
Nearly all of the bills passed by Hageman and her allies in the House have died once reaching the Senate.
“I will make this promise to you: I will do everything I can so our party wins in November,” she said. “Please do what you can to help.”
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso also is up for reelection in 2024. So far, Barrasso has only one opponent in fellow Republican Reid Rasner.
According to Federal Election Commission data, Hageman raised $1.1 million in 2023 and spent $949,897. Her most lucrative quarter for fundraising came in the second quarter that ended in July, when she raised $522,381 in that quarter alone.
Hageman reported that her campaign has received more than 47,000 donations since taking office with an average donation of $29.77. She reported that more than 79% of her 2023 donors had never given to her previously.
Any Opponents?
No candidates have officially announced plans to challenge Hageman in the Republican primary or the general elections later this year. Anyone who decides to run will likely face an uphill battle as there have been no visible fissures to Hageman’s base of support of any significance since taking office.
In 2022, Hageman took down four other opponents, including former congresswoman Liz Cheney, in her Republican primary election victory. In the general election, she beat Democratic candidate Lynette Grey Bull by a similarly large margin.
If reelected, Hageman would become the 15th Wyoming member of Congress to serve more than one term in office.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
