CHEYENNE — The last time I checked there were nine announced candidates for the Republican nomination for the U.S House of Representatives, with maybe more to come.
This seat is popular because it is open. The incumbent, Harriet Hageman, a MAGA Republican, is trying to move to the Senate to claim the seat being vacated by Cynthia Lummis.
Hageman is considered to be a shoo-in, largely because of her support from President Donald Trump.
My first question is, why would anyone want to be a member of Congress, given that the institution seems to be a chaotic paralyzed mess?
On the other hand, the perks are good; it pays well for a four-day week with a great pension and no physical labor required.
At any rate, we have these nine people lined up eager to go into the swamp that is Washington, D.C., to represent Wyoming as its only representative in the U.S. House. It’s a big job for one person.
The candidates deserve our respect for putting themselves out there in public view and public inspection.
Unfortunately, money has become the dominant feature, the engine as it were of all elections.
Bill Sniffin, a fellow Iowan, Wyoming newspaper publisher and columnist at Cowboy State Daily, wrote a great piece recently on his experience as a candidate in Wyoming faced with the rising costs of running for office.
The increase in campaign expenses over the years was stunning.
Which called to mind former Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan’s policy on campaign finance.
Asked how much he would spend on his campaign for re-election, Sullivan said, “as much as people give me.”
This is the wise approach.
I have seen so many cases where candidates, usually young
Democrats, have continued spending their own money in hopeless races. They believed wrongly that a few more dollars could swing the election in their favor.
Nine candidates for a statewide office is not a record.
We have had more crowded Republican races for the GOP nomination for governor.
The largest was 14 in the 1980s when Democratic Gov. Ed Herschler retired after serving three terms.
Unfortunately for the Republicans, they split during the campaign, establishing a division that widened over the years, and produced today’s two blocs — traditional Republicans and the hard-right Freedom Caucus.
The fracturing of that GOP campaign also resulted in the election of a another Democrat, Mike Sullivan.
Anyway, today the list of candidates for the congressional seat includes a former state superintendent of public instruction, the secretary of state, the senate president and others.
The newest candidate to declare is Steve Friess of Jackson Hole, a Trumpist activist with lots of money.
His father, Foster Friess, was a former candidate for Wyoming governor.
Steve Friess’ big campaign impediment will be that he is from Teton County. Many Wyoming people do not consider posh Teton County as part of Wyoming.
Nevertheless, Friess has enough money to win if that is what it takes.
The runner up then could be Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who had $500,000 in a campaign fund to begin with.
Frank Chapman, a lawyer from Moran, also has $500,000 in his campaign chest, according to Ballotpedia.
Republican Gov. Mark Gordon, who is finishing his second term in office, was at one point listed by Ballotpedia as possible candidate for the U.S. House this year.
Gordon ran for the congressional office in 2008, but lost to Lummis.
He has not announced his election plans, if any, to date.
Contact Joan Barron at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net
