Former President Donald Trump is paying attention to Wyoming and its 2024 races for the state Legislature.
Over the weekend, Trump endorsed Cheyenne Republican Senate candidate Darin Smith on his social media platform Truth Social.
While Trump has endorsed Wyoming candidates before, he hasn’t expressed support for anyone running for the state Legislature until now.
In his endorsement, Trump describes Smith as a “highly respected America first patriot.”
“A successful entrepreneur, Darin will fight to lower your taxes, grow the economy, secure the border, protect our incredible military/vets, and defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote. “Darin Smith has my complete and total endorsement - he will never let you down!”
Smith said he’s “very humbled” to get Trump’s endorsement.
The Significance
Smith is the first Wyoming legislative candidate to be endorsed by Trump, and the track record shows that a Trump endorsement usually turns out well for those candidates.
Trump has endorsed many candidates in other states for their legislative races this year. He also did in 2022, with 18 of his 21 endorsees at that level winning their races that year, according to Ballotpedia.
This year, 63 of the 69 Republican legislature candidates he endorsed that have already won their primary races.
Trump has also endorsed U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman in their campaigns for reelection.
In 2022, Trump endorsed Secretary of State Chuck Gray, State Treasurer Curt Meier and interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder in their primary campaigns, the latter losing his race.
He also endorsed Hageman in her 2022 challenge of former congresswoman Liz Cheney. Hageman won in a landslide.
Trump has endorsed Hageman again in this year’s election, as well as Wyoming’s senior U.S. senator, John Barrasso.
Smith And Trump
Smith, an attorney and real estate agent, was an early entry in the 2022 U.S. House race against former congresswoman Liz Cheney and some polls indicated he was an early frontrunner.
Smith was one of a few candidates to meet with Trump at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey in 2021 when the former president was deciding who he would endorse in that race. When Trump announced he was endorsing Hageman in September 2021, Smith dropped his campaign shortly after.
Also competing in that race was firebrand state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne. Bouchard lost serious momentum in the race after news surfaced he had impregnated a 14-year old girl when he was 18.
Smith, who espouses farther right Republican views, is now running for Bouchard’s seat and Bouchard has endorsed him.
Smith also has earned endorsements from state Sens. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, and Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, and Rep. Clarence Styvar, R-Cheyenne.
Coming Present
Smith is one of six candidates in a logjam race for Senate District 6 in rural Laramie and Platte counties. It’s the most contested field out of any Legislature race in the state this year.
Also running in the race is Laramie County GOP Chairman Taft Love, former Platte County commissioner Eric Johnston, rancher Marc Torriani, credit union executive Kim Withers and Wheatland resident Gary Bjorklund.
Love has been endorsed by Wyoming Right To Life, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and the Cheyenne Board of Realtors.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
