With six weeks to go before the Aug. 20 primary, political advertising campaigns are starting to hit overdrive around Wyoming.
Last week, the first entirely out-of-state-based lobbying effort of the 2024 season started reaching out to Wyoming cellphones and mailboxes.
It’s run by a conservative group called Make Liberty Win, which is a subsidiary of the Austin, Texas-based conservative Libertarian group Young Americans for Liberty.
Young Americans for Liberty considers itself “the most active and effective pro-liberty youth organization advancing liberty on campus,” according to its website.
Texts Start Rolling In
Make Liberty Win ran a series of text messages on the night of July 3, endorsing a number of Wyoming Legislature candidates like state Reps. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, and Scott Smith, R-Lingle, Casper Senate candidate Rob Hendry and Kemmerer Senate Candidate Laura Taliaferro Pearson.
Aside from Hendry, all of the candidates share a very similar political ideology to members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
Although the group used a mailing address belonging to a downtown Cheyenne address, it has no known direct ties to Wyoming.
Multiple emails sent to Young Americans for Liberty were not returned.
Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, is one of 15 Wyoming state legislators Young Americans considers as part of its Hazlitt Coalition, a network of legislators throughout the country advocating for principled policies that free markets, protect civil liberties and promote peace.
Singh said the group is focused on getting liberty-minded legislation passed and was successful with its most recent campaign efforts in Idaho. The fact the group is not based in Wyoming shouldn’t be a reason used to discredit it, he said.
“Of course, Wyoming is unique with some of its problems, but a lot of the issues we’re dealing with are the same as they are seeing in other states,” Singh said.
‘Bunch Of Idiots’
Make Liberty Win also sent out mailers around the state that hit mailboxes late last week.
One of the most glaring inaccuracies in the mailers is they identify newcomer candidates like Rock Springs resident Darin McCann and Green River resident Marlene Brady as “State Rep.,” which can make voters think they’re incumbents and have more experience than they actually have.
Some of the mailers were also sent out to districts in the completely wrong part of the state for the race being advertised. For instance, a mailer endorsing Rep. Bill Allemand, R-Midwest, was sent to Rep. Tony Niemec, R-Green River, about 280 miles away.
“They’re a bunch of idiots,” Niemec said of Make Liberty Win.
Niemec is frustrated how the group described Brady, his opponent, as “the only 100% pro-gun candidate in the race” and a “gun rights champion.”
“If you look at my votes, I’m 100% pro-gun,” he said.
During the 2024 session, Niemec voted to support legislation banning gun-free zones, red flag gun seizures and notifications to credit card companies about firearms purchases.
He said it’s clear the group isn’t particularly knowledgeable about Wyoming.
“They obviously don’t know Wyoming issues,” he said. “They’re clueless about what’s going on in Wyoming.”
Niemec believes Make Liberty Win is directly aligned with Freedom Caucus candidates, of which he also considers Brady.
“It seems like they’re just endorsing the Freedom Caucus candidates or those who will become Freedom Caucus but don’t have the gonads to say they will,” he said.
Singh told Cowboy State Daily he hasn’t had any direct communications with Young Americans for Liberty, but said the group does engage in door knocking and phone drives.
Jennings said he doesn’t know much about Make Liberty Win besides it being a “a bit more Libertarian” and “pretty hardcore conservative.”
Background
Neither Make Liberty Win or Young Americans for Liberty are yet registered with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office. Although Make Liberty Win was involved in the 2022 elections in Wyoming, it didn’t register with the state.
Make Liberty Win was a major campaign force in the recent Idaho primary election, pouring $1.1 million into efforts there, according to a leaked audio recording first reported by InvestigateWest.
Taliaferro Pearson is the opponent of House Speaker Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale.
Sommers said although it’s a free country and groups like these are fully allowed to send out mailers, he believes people should consider them with caution. Unlike local groups like Wyoming Stock Growers and Right To Life Wyoming, it’s less clear who’s behind groups like Make Liberty Win.
“People should be careful the way they consider these dark money groups that don’t have a presence in Wyoming,” he said.
Sommers believes the more accurate way for people to get information about candidates is to call them up on the phone and ask them questions directly.
“Call the candidates, call both candidates,” he said. “Have a conversation with them. See who answers their phones. You can get better information off these calls than off those fliers.”
Niemec said he’s heard rumors Make Liberty Win has another series of mailers set to come out soon.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
