The group of Republican lawmakers known as the Wyoming Freedom Caucus will have new leadership entering next year’s legislative session.
The biggest change is the chairman position, which will be filled by state Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody.
Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, is stepping down from the role, which he held for four years. Bear was the face of the organization through some of its most formative years, frequently critical of other Republican lawmakers the Freedom Caucus doesn’t believe fully represent the Republican platform.
For his work, Bear last week was named the Best State Lawmaker among the 12 states that the State Freedom Caucus Network has membership organizations in at a national summit event held for the group in Dallas. Voting on this panel included former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Bear, who is running unopposed, said he’ll still be involved with the group and is looking forward to helping it continue to succeed.
“I believe that organizations can be defined by their leaders or bigger than their leaders,” Bear said. “That’s what I would like to see for the Freedom Caucus.”
Who Is Rodriguez-Williams?
Rodriguez-Williams has been one of the leading pro-life voices in the state, the lead sponsor of legislation that passed in 2023 making abortion illegal in Wyoming in most cases. That law is now being challenged in court.
“I am honored to serve as the next chairman of the WYFC,” Rodriguez-Williams said in a press release. “For the past two years, Rep. Bear stood at the helm of the WYFC and made our caucus a household name.”
Rodriguez-Williams was first elected to the Legislature in 2020. She won her primary election for a third term in August and is facing no challengers in the November election.
Bear nominated Rodriguez-Williams to be the new chair, and the rest of the members voted her in unanimously.
Rodriguez-Williams told Cowboy State Daily she expects the Freedom Caucus to continue succeeding under her leadership and utilize “normal, common sense solutions to the problems our communities face because we are normal, common sense people.”
“We will also begin a mission to correct the malicious record created by the liberal media,” she said. “WYFC members are husbands and wives, parents and grandparents, farmers, ranchers, regular patriots who care about our loved ones, their futures, and who love Wyoming, America’s last hope.”
‘Household Name’
The Freedom Caucus has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few election cycles.
Originally a fringe group of lawmakers headed by Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan, and now-Secretary of State Chuck Gray, the caucus had around 14 members entering the 2022 election.
After that election, the group grew to around 26 lawmakers.
The Freedom Caucus had an enormously successful primary election last month, winning 32 of the 46 races it endorsed candidates in. If the results of the primary hold through the general election, the group will have around 37 members in the House, giving it a comfortable majority in the chamber.
Bear said the Wyoming Freedom Caucus was recognized as one of the most successful caucuses in the country at the national summit event. Also attending and speaking at the event was U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.
Rodriguez-Willians named Rep. Chris Knapp, R-Gillette, to be vice chair of the caucus and Rep. Tomi Strock, R-Douglas, as secretary.
Bear said former vice chair Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, will likely run for a leadership position in the House.
“We not only want to maintain, we have to govern now,” he said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
