U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman’s campaign wants Wyoming Senate candidate Reid Rasner to stop making social posts it believes are meant to lead people to believe she is supporting and endorsing his campaign against U.S. Sen. John Barrasso.
On Thursday, her attorney sent him a cease and desist letter (see below) that was obtained by Cowboy State Daily that includes wording in red emboldened capitalized letters: "REID RASNER DOES NOT HAVE REPRESENTATIVE HAGEMAN'S ENDORSEMENT."
An email was also shared with Cowboy State Daily (see below), sent by Hageman’s Chief of Staff Carly Miller to Rasner in February, making a similar request and demanding that he take down the posts, to which he did not.
“Nonetheless, you have persisted in your attempts to mislead Representative Hageman’s loyal supporters, some of whom may be considering donating to or voting for you based on a false belief that she has endorsed your candidacy,” the Thursday letter reads from attorney Alex Cannon, a former lawyer for former President Donald Trump.
The letter goes on to say that in order to avoid “confusion on anyone’s part” that Rasner does not have Hageman’s endorsement.
“Hageman for Wyoming thus demands that you immediately cease and desist all present and future uses of Representative Hageman’s name, image, or likeness in any manner that could reasonably imply her endorsement,” the letter reads. “This includes, without limitation, promptly removing any and all posts or advertisements enclosed herewith or similar thereto.”
Hageman has not endorsed any candidate in the U.S. Senate race at this time, a decision Rasner said he supports when reached by Cowboy State Daily.
Rasner claimed no one from Hageman’s staff had ever sent him the letter.
“I've had the opportunity to meet and interact with Congresswoman Hageman on many occasions, enjoying pleasant and productive conversations together,” Rasner said in an emailed statement. “Throughout our discussions, she has never directly requested that I remove a post due to its misleading nature.”
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the post with the Hageman photo was still pinned to the top of Rasner's Facebook page.
What’s He Been Posting?
Rasner has never explicitly said Hageman is endorsing or supporting his campaign.
The Hageman campaign, however, believes he’s made various posts that could lead a casual observer to come to that conclusion.
Late last month, he posted multiple photos on Facebook he had taken with her and former state legislator and Saratoga Mayor Teense Willford at an event.
One post reads: “Hang on Harriet, I am on my way! The Wyoming Congressional Delegation 2024 is getting STRONGER.” A different variation of this post says “The Rasner/Hageman duo will crush the deep state.”
Another thanks Hageman and says, “Together let’s Make America Great Again!”
He uses a third photo with her to highlight a post where he writes that a vote for him is a vote for change, and encourages the reader to, “Help us secure our borders, enforce TERM LIMITS, and balance the budget.”
In total, Rasner made at least seven Facebook posts with him posing with Hageman, some of which he paid for to boost their reach to viewers.
Context
Rasner was relatively unknown in Wyoming political circles before announcing his campaign against Barrasso last August.
Since that time, he has been consistently traveling the state in an effort to get his name out to Republican voters, most notably giving a speech at the Wyoming Republican Party state convention in April.
Despite a recent Morning Consult poll indicating otherwise, Rasner said he feels confident he will beat Barrasso in the Republican primary this August.
“I have won with no less than 66% of the vote in every head-to-head poll for the U.S. Senate race,” he said. “I am humbled by the outpouring of support across the state and look forward to fighting for my fellow Wyomingites alongside Congresswoman Hageman in Washington, D.C.”
Rasner has consistently aligned himself with Trump during his campaign. In March, Trump endorsed Barrasso in his campaign for Senate GOP Whip. Rasner, however, said a Trump staffer informed him that the former president plans to make no formal endorsement in his race.
Getting Hageman’s endorsement would be a major feather in Rasner’s cap when considering the congresswoman’s popularity in Wyoming. In the 2022 election, she beat former congresswoman Liz Cheney by 38 percentage points, and there are no signs her base of support from the farther right wing of the Republican Party has waned since that time.
Rasner said his politics align with Hageman’s.
“Both of us are focused on crucial matters concerning our nation, such as term limits, border security, and fiscal responsibility,” Rasner said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at: Leo@CowboyStateDaily.com
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
