Some recent commentary has revived a familiar argument in Wyoming politics: that Democrats should consider switching party registration and voting in Republican primaries in order to influence outcomes.
It’s a position framed as pragmatic. As math. As the most effective way to shape who governs in a state where Republican primaries often decide elections.
But there’s an important truth missing from that argument.
It is not the responsibility of the Democratic Party, or Democratic voters, to abandon their own party in order to manage or moderate the internal divisions of the Republican Party.
That is a problem for Republicans to solve.
Wyoming Democrats should be focused on building a party that can compete, grow, and represent our communities. Not hollowing it out in exchange for the hope of influencing someone else’s primary.
Political parties are not just labels on a voter registration form. They are institutions built on participation, shared values, and long-term commitment. When Democrats leave our own primaries, even temporarily, we weaken the very foundation that allows us to recruit candidates, attract investment, and demonstrate viability.
Registration numbers matter. Primary turnout matters. They signal whether a party is serious about competing or quietly stepping aside.
And that signal has real consequences.
Candidates look at those numbers when deciding whether to run. Donors and national partners look at them when deciding whether to invest. Volunteers look at them when deciding whether their time will matter. When Democrats disengage from our own process, we don’t gain influence. We lose credibility.
There is also a practical reality that deserves honesty.
The idea that Democratic crossover voting will reliably produce more “moderate” Republican outcomes is, at best, an uncertain gamble. Candidates who win Republican primaries govern as Republicans. They are accountable to Republican voters, Republican donors, and Republican party structures. Any influence from crossover voters is temporary and indirect. The institutional pressure remains the same.
More importantly, “moderate Republican” does not mean aligned with Democratic values.
On issues like healthcare, public education, public lands, reproductive rights, labor, and the role of government in strengthening communities, the differences are real. They are not erased by tone or temperament. And they should not be treated as interchangeable.
Asking Democrats to set aside those differences in order to influence Republican primaries is not a strategy for strengthening democracy. It is a strategy that asks one party to diminish itself to stabilize another.
That is not a sustainable path forward.
Wyoming faces real challenges. No one disputes that many elections are effectively decided in August. But the conclusion we draw from that reality matters.
We can either accept it as a reason to retreat from our own party, or as a reason to invest in it more seriously.
History is clear on this point. Parties do not become stronger by opting out of their own process. They become stronger by showing up consistently, fielding candidates even when the odds are long, and building the infrastructure necessary to compete over time.
If Democrats want greater influence in Wyoming, the answer is not to borrow it from another party’s primary. It is to build it ourselves.
That means staying registered as Democrats. Voting in Democratic primaries. Supporting Democratic candidates. And demonstrating, through participation, that our party is present, engaged, and committed to the future of this state.
Republicans will decide what kind of Republican Party they want to have.
Democrats should do the same.
Because in the end, real political strength is not something you borrow for a single election. It is something you build, election after election, year after year.
And that work starts at home.
Scott Merrifield is the Executive Director of the Wyoming Democratic Party
