Of Wyoming statewide Republican primary election winners, Treasurer Curt Meier got the best deal for his campaign money and Secretary of State Chuck Gray got the worst.
And including those who did not win nominations, Casper businessman Reid Rasner got the worst deal altogether, with his $2.26 million in campaign expense ending with 10,807 votes, a rate of $209 per vote.
The Efficient Treasurer
Meier held the GOP nomination by more than doubling the vote of challenger Rep. Scott Smith, and faces no Democratic challenger in the general election.
The incumbent treasurer spent $126,795 on the campaign and won 78,702 votes – a direct ratio of $1.61 per vote.
Smith spent less per vote at $1.39, with $51,047 in expenses shaking out to 36,613 votes.
That House Race
Gray won the U.S. House nomination with 31,222 votes (about 25%) and faces Libertarian nominee Shawn Johnson, Democratic nominee Lisa Kinney, and Constitution Party nominee Jeff Haggit in the general.
Gray spent $1.38 million on his campaign. If that were a direct exchange, it's about $44.23 per vote.
Steve Friess finished second with 25,054 votes following $2.49 million in disbursements. That’s $99.21 per vote.
Kevin Christensen, buoyed in part by last-minute assertions from Gray that he was in second place, scored an efficient 21,632 votes after spending $26,219.
That’s $1.21 per vote.
Christensen finished third.
In fourth place, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow won 12,590 votes and spent $75,538, a shakeout of $6 per vote.
Rasner, finishing fifth place in that race, got the worst deal of any Wyoming statewide contest with his $209-per-vote expense.
In sixth David Giralt won 10,130 votes at $176,700 in expense: $17.44 per vote.
Seventh-place finisher and state Senate President Bo Biteman won 6,255 votes and spent $86,533 - $13.83 per vote.
Former Democratic legislator Keith Goodenough spent 22 cents for each vote he won but finished second-to-last.
Ninth-place candidate Richard Dodson’s campaign expenditures were not available as of publication.
Hageman Wins Big And Spends Big
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman won 83,794 votes for the GOP nomination to U.S. Senate, more than all three challengers combined. She spent $2.4 million, which makes for $28.67 per vote. She faces Democratic nominee Jim Byrd in the general election.
Hageman’s top challenger Sam Mead spent $4.94 per vote, with 35,875 votes and $177,230 in expenditures. Third-place Republican Jimmy Skovgard paid $2.28 per vote, and data on runners-up Jill Edwards and John Holtz’s expenditures were not available as of publication.
Barlow's Relatively Efficient Win
Sen. Eric Barlow won the nomination for governor decisively with 58,820 votes over Trump-endorsed Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder’s 38,739 and Marine Corps Col. Brent Bien’s 30,843.
Barlow got a slightly better deal than Degenfelder.
He spent $25.19 per vote ($1.48 million in expenses), to Degenfelder’s $28.70 per vote ($1.11 million in expenses).
Bien spent $5.02 per vote, with $154,890 in expenses.
The fourth, and lesser-known GOP gubernatorial candidate Curt Blake lists $0 for his expenses, according to the Wyoming Campaign Finance Information System.
Barlow faces Democratic nominee Kenneth Casner and Constitution Party nominee Rebecca Bextel in the general election.
Secretary Of State's Race Goes To Biggest Spender
Robert Short, the Republican nominee for secretary of state, spent around seven times the amount per vote of second-place candidate Rachel Williams.
Short won with 53,314 votes, and an expense of $401,645. That's $7.53 per vote.
Williams finished with 38,567 votes and $41,195 in expense: $1.06 per vote.
In third place, CJ Young won 17,846 votes and spent $39,242. That’s $2.20 per vote.
Lastly, Qwenton Eagle Oviatt won 7,087 votes and spent $3,512. It wasn’t close to a win, but it was technically a steal at 50 cents a vote.
Short faces Bryan McCarty in the general election.
Harshman's Currency? Probably Name Recognition
Longtime state House Rep. Steve Harshman got the second-best deal among statewide winners: $2.67 per vote. He won with 67,784 votes and spent $180,854.7.
Name recognition might have been a factor. Harshman has been in the Wyoming Legislature since 2003.
Rep. Tom Kelly came in second but got the best deal in that race, at $1.10 per vote. That’s 36,624 votes and $40,232 in expenses.
Chad Auer won 12,636 votes and spent $19,984.
Harshman faces Ana Cordova in the general election.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
