Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner has brought his opponent’s dad into the fiery race for the GOP nomination to U.S. House.
Rasner is running against nine other Republican candidates for the GOP nomination to Wyoming’s lone House seat, which the incumbent Rep. Harriet Hageman is leaving to vie for the Senate.
From about Friday through Monday, Rasner’s political Facebook page showcased screenshots that depict Jan Charles Gray – who is the father of one of Rasner’s opponents, Secretary of State Chuck Gray – reacting to Rasner’s posts with heart-face and fire emojis.
“Chuck Gray’s Dad Supports Reid,” says a banner attached to one of the posts.
One screenshot shows what appears to be Jan Charles Gray’s Facebook page giving a heart-face emoji at 1:37 a.m., about May 13, to one of Rasner’s reels.
Another screenshot shows a message, blurred in the screenshot but which Rasner identified in a Monday video as the elder Gray’s email address. That screenshot depicts a fire emoji from Jan Charles Gray at 9:29 a.m. about June 2.
Did Not Confirm Or Deny
Jan Charles Gray, in a brief Monday phone interview, did not deny or confirm leaving the Facebook reactions, but voiced emphatic support for his son.
“Clearly I support my son, Chuck Gray, 100% - and he’s going to win,” said the elder Gray. “Reid Rasner is a very troubled individual. Chuck Gray for Congress.”
Rasner’s team did not respond to a text message request for an interview, for the original screenshots, or for confirmation of a different claim Rasner made Monday.
"More Unhinged Nonsense"
Chuck Gray called Rasner’s provocation “more unhinged nonsense from Reid Rasner, who will say anything to get elected, no matter how absurd or wrong.”
“If Reid keeps acting like a child, Reid's mom, who has been funding his campaign, should cut off his allowance and take away his phone,” Gray continued.
Conversely, Gray’s father has been a major donor to Gray’s House campaign, and funded nearly all of his secretary of state campaign in 2022.
“This is absurd and not a serious story, and no serious reporter should pretend otherwise,” said Gray, who claimed that Cowboy State Daily has “been influenced by Reid buying advertising from them” and “insiders who fund their entire operation.”
Rasner has not advertised with Cowboy State Daily in more than five months. His ads contract expired Jan. 31, Cowboy State Daily’s advertising department said Monday.
Chuck Gray, Grocery PAC, Feinstein
Jan Charles Gray is politically active. He'd given $3,500 to Chuck Gray’s campaign as of March 31.
The father funded nearly all of his son’s brief 2022 U.S. House run and gave him $500,000, 95% of his total funding for what became his secretary of state campaign, Cowboy State Daily reported prior.
Jan Charles Gray also gave $500 to the campaign of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, of California, in 1994, and more than $2,000 to a grocery company PAC in the 1990s, his Federal Election Commission filings show.
Chuck Gray and Rasner face eight more contenders for the GOP nomination: State Senate President Bo Biteman, philanthropist Steve Friess, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, veteran and former congressional staffer David Giralt, Casper-based veteran Kevin Christensen, former legislator Keith Goodenough, Teton County rancher Frank Chapman and Richard Dodson.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
