The Wyoming Legislature will look distinctly different when it convenes for its 68th session in January.
In Tuesday night’s Republican primary, longtime legislators went down left and right.
Most notable was House Speaker Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale, who lost his bid for Senate District 14 to Kemmerer resident Laura Taliaferro Pearson by 156 votes. Sommers had served in the Legislature since 2013.
The main beneficiary of the upheaval: The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a conservative movement that has positioned itself farther right of more mainstream conservatives, including many incumbents its members have deemed to be part of the “establishment.”
All together, Cowboy State Daily has determined that the Freedom Caucus on Tuesday won the potential to gain 11 seats in House if candidates that align with the group win out in the November general election. This includes uncontested primary wins by Sheridan resident Laurie Bratten and Casper resident J.R. Riggins.
State Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, the second longest serving member of the Wyoming House, also lost his bid for reelection to an 11th term in the House to a Freedom Caucus candidate. Zwonitzer had been serving since 2004.
Other incumbents who lost on Tuesday in similar fashion included Reps. Tom Walters, R-Casper, and Ember Oakley, R-Riverton.
The Freedom Caucus has typically taken a no-compromises approach to issues like transgender issues, abortion and property taxes. It also has cast a suspicious eye on many longtime legislators.
If the Democrats don’t gain any seats in the general election, this will give the Freedom Caucus a clear majority of not only Republican seats but also the Wyoming House.
In the Senate, the overall political makeup of the body stayed roughly the same.
‘Really Really Good’
State Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, was working on a leaky boiler when reached by Cowboy State Daily early Wednesday morning. Although he was done celebrating for the evening because of the task, he still considered Tuesday’s primary “incredible.”
“It was a really really good night,” he said. “The overall gains are just indicative of the people wanting to see a changed message.”
But he also mentioned that the Freedom Caucus took some losses to key players like Reps. Jeanette Ward, R-Casper, and Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan.
Bear estimates there will be 38 “solid conservatives” in the House if none of those people lose their general election bids. That leaves around 19 members of the Wyoming Caucus that formed to oppose the Freedom Caucus, and the five Democrats.
This still won’t be quite enough seats however for the Freedom Caucus to override vetoes from Gov. Mark Gordon.
But it will be enough to still get some different legislation passed through and likely some rather drastic cuts to the state budget.
“It’s important to remember that our legislators have not been part of the establishment, we have not had the power, so it will be important that we are thoughtful and really careful with what we pass,” Bear said.
‘Interesting Dynamic’
Cheyenne resident Rob Geringer had one of the few wins for the Wyoming Caucus of the evening, taking down Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ben Hornok, R-Cheyenne.
“There already is a bit of a divide and that will probably continue for us,” he said. “It will be an interesting dynamic.”
But Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said there’s no reason why the current level of division needs to continue in the House and that a more unified chamber could come forward.
In many ways, this outlook could be in the eyes of the beholder.
“I’m looking forward to bringing unity and putting the division behind us,” he said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
