A Casper-based U.S. House of Representatives candidate attacked his opponent in a statewide radio ad set to traditional Chinese string music and punctuated with gong and ninja-movie-style sound effects while calling him “China Chuck Gray."
Casper businessman Reid Rasner is one of 10 Republican candidates seeking the GOP nomination for the U.S. House in Wyoming’s Aug. 18 primary election.
He’s attacked one of his nine opponents, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, repeatedly.
“The Communist Chinese Party has a Wyoming politician in their pockets,” begins a masculine voice on a radio ad which also was posted to Rasner’s Facebook page starting in March. “And his name is China Chuck Gray.”
A ninja “HOI!” grunt punctuates the claim.
“As Wyoming Secretary of State, China Chuck gave business licenses to 56 Chinese companies,” the voice continues. “China Chuck has given the Red Communists a foothold in Wyoming.”
The voice adds, “When you crack open the fortune cookie, it reads, ‘Chuck Gray is China’s best friend.’”
A gong sounds.
“Wyoming conservatives just can’t trust China Chuck Gray,” says the voice.
The commercial’s music shifts into an American-style electric guitar strain.
“We need an America-first Trump conservative,” the voice says. “In Congress, Reid Rasner will fight alongside President Trump to stop China from stealing American jobs.”
Both Rasner and Gray have long claimed political alignment with the president.
Trump has not publicly endorsed anyone in that race as of Thursday.
Rob Wallace’s Take
“The one good thing I can say about that ad is I finally learned how to pronounce Rasner’s last name,” said Rob Wallace in a Thursday phone interview with Cowboy State Daily.
Wallace served as assistant secretary to the U.S. Interior during the first Trump administration and years prior worked multiple political campaigns as an advisor for the late U.S. Sen. Malcolm Wallop. He also ran for Congress in 1994 and finished second in a crowded primary to Rep. Barbara Cubin.
As a longtime politico reviewing the commercial, said Wallace, “my reaction is twofold.”
On the one hand, leaning on fear of China is a “puzzling” strategy since it’s not Wyoming-centric, and Wyoming faces pressing questions going into this election cycle: from public lands to nuclear waste storage to wind and solar farm siting.
Rasner has referenced those themes as well across different messaging campaigns.
But the second issue that may diminish the commercial’s effectiveness, said Wallace, is the density of the race itself.
With nine opponents, Rasner should be touting himself for more than attacking one specific opponent, said Wallace.
“I’d spend (my money) on articulating why I’m the best person in that field of nine to be elected,” said Wallace.
As for the Chinese music, gongs and ninja grunts, Wallace said with a laugh that he doesn’t have analysis to share on that.
“Maybe there’s a subliminal message in there that I haven’t heard yet,” said Wallace, still chuckling.
'A Joke'
The Wyoming House Minority Floor Leader, Democratic Rep. Mike Yin of Jackson, is one of the more prominent Wyoming political figures of Asian descent.
He wasn’t offended by Rasner’s ad, Yin indicated in a Tuesday text message.
“I think Rasner’s campaign is a joke, so I don’t take anything he runs very seriously,” said Yin.
Rasner has dispatched culturally charged messaging campaigns before.
“Happy #CincoDeMayo!” says a Tuesday post to Rasner’s political page. “The best taco bowls are made in Wyoming. I love Hispanics!”
The post is a nearly-verbatim echo of a May 5, 2016, post then-presidential candidate Donald Trump placed on the forum then called Twitter. Except Trump said the best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill.
“Literally word for word the same,” Yin mused.
Into The Crossfire
When asked for comment, Rasner’s campaign team sent Cowboy State Daily a list of 56 companies with Chinese-sounding names like “Zhenlianyuan LLC” and “Wuchenglong LLC” that were all registered in Wyoming in 2025.
Several of them were registered to a known, repeat registered agent address at 30 N Gould St. in Sheridan.
Regarding data on the companies, Rasner answered, “Ask Chuck; he spends more time with Chinese businesses than I do.”
But Gray’s hands are tied here, the secretary countered in his own email interview.
“For four years in a row, ever since I’ve been Secretary of State, I’ve worked to advocate to the legislature for new authority under Wyoming state law to dissolve any foreign entity,” wrote Gray.
“But the legislature has refused four years in a row to pass these bills that would strengthen our authority to dissolve an entity at any point if it’s in the public interest,” he said.
Without those bills passing, he added, only limited circumstances allow the state to dissolve foreign entities.
Gray said Rasner is being dishonest about knowing the companies’ origin.
"There is no way under Wyoming state law to know who the businesses are owned by or even where they're located,” said Gray. “Because the legislature refuses to pass the bills that I've requested requiring more information when the businesses register, it's impossible to know who these businesses are, and that information can't be requested under Wyoming state law."
Wyoming’s business friendly laws have made it a haven for edgier enterprises, as well as numerous filings.
'Mr. Kronberg-Rasner'
Gray delivered his pitch again this year at the Feb. 13 Senate Corporations Committee meeting, where he argued to add “more teeth” to Wyoming’s business filing laws to combat fraud.
Business filing in Wyoming, which bring revenue to the state, have surged in recent years — especially during Gray’s term.
The proposed law change would dock the state’s status among the most private business climates to a “much lower” privacy tier but would give law enforcement a means to investigate business fraud, Gray said at the time.
A House legislative committee killed the bill by a 5-4 vote on March 3.
Gray in a joint federal operation in 2024 stripped three businesses with suspected ties to North Korea of their licensing to operate as a registered business in Wyoming after the FBI informed him they were connected to North Korea.
“I've been the only SOS in state history who has taken on and fought both China and North Korea,” Gray told Cowboy State Daily in his Thursday email.
He called Rasner “Mr. Kronberg-Rasner” and pointed to Rasner’s four defamation lawsuits against five different people.
“Mr. Kronberg-Rasner sues others for defamation, while he’s the one who is actually lying,” wrote Gray. “Mr. Kronberg-Rasner accuses others of what he’s actually doing, just like leftwing insider politicians like Liz Cheney.”
Former U.S. House Rep. Cheney fell from prominence in Wyoming politics in 2022 after she served on a panel investigating Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Now-Rep. Harriet Hageman, who is running for the U.S. Senate, defeated Cheney resoundingly that year.
“The truth is,” continued Gray, “Kronberg-Rasner has pushed Chinese solar and liberal green energy handouts when he ran for city council in Las Vegas.”
Rasner ran unsuccessfully in 2017 for a seat on the Las Vegas City Council.
He said in an interview at that time that he wanted to decrease regulation on solar projects to allow rooftop solar.
He derided a grid utility’s surcharges for rooftop solar producers who had been receiving a refund for selling their own energy back into the grid. He floated the idea of a grant program to help people spread “solar panels everywhere.”
Rasner in a response comment to Cowboy State Daily on Thursday said his stance at that time pertained to people’s private property rights, and right to offset their electric bills “as they see fit.”
“What’s right for Las Vegas is different than what’s right for Wyoming,” added Rasner.
As for Gray, he concluded his comments by saying, “Actions matter more than poorly produced attack ads paid for with his mom’s money” and, “Wyoming Republicans know what a Conservative is and Reid Kronberg-Rasner is no conservative.”
These Ads
Rasner’s messaging campaign is boisterous, variegated and often controversial.
Gray is one of his most frequent targets. Rasner runs repeating posts about Gray having voted in favor of state leases for wind farms at least three times.
In the video reels, Rasner often speaks with a Trump-like growl and cadence, plus animated hand gestures.
“It’s time to liberate Cuba,” said Rasner in a Wednesday reel depicting him standing in front of a military tank wearing a Make America Great Again hat. “I’m confident with this tank behind me alone we can take Cuba.
"Cuba is in desperate need of liberation and with this tank here, we can take ‘em.”
On Tuesday, Rasner posted a video reel showing him at a Mexican embassy, speaking over a mariachi strain.
“English is the only language we speak in America,” said Rasner. “You don’t press 1 for Espanol. Let me know in the comments, do you speak American?”
Rasner opened one reel with the slogan “no more fat kids” and urged society to bring back the presidential fitness exam.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
