Democratic state Rep. Ivan Posey secured a second term in the Fremont County-based House District 33 on Tuesday, fending off Republican challenger Justin Morgan.
Posey is a longtime leader of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, and the only enrolled tribal member serving in the Wyoming Legislature in the upcoming term.
He first won the seat by ousting Republican Rep. Sarah Penn in 2024, and now chairs the Select Committee on Tribal Relations.
Posey has carved out a legislative identity as a moderate Democrat.
For example, he voted in favor of a bill this year authorizing state law-enforcement officers to enforce federal English-language proficiency requirements on commercial truckers.
He also voted with Republicans and half his Democratic colleagues in 2025 in favor of an anti-squatters bill.
The Seat
House District 33 centers on the Wind River Indian Reservation. During its most recent redistricting formation, Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, pushed for the Legislature to draw that district around as many American Indian voters as feasible.
Case has said he was working to honor the case law of the time, requiring that districts that can contain a majority of racial-minority voters should have them.
But the U.S. Supreme Court pivoted in April, declaring a race-based congressional district in Louisiana unconstitutional.
Wyoming isn’t due to pass a new redistricting law until 2032, but some public officials, such as Secretary of State Chuck Gray, have already questioned whether House District 33 should remain as is.
The region is a true swing district.
Democratic Rep. Patrick Goggles held the seat from 2005-2014.
Then Republican Rep. Jim Allen held it from 2015-2018.
Democratic Rep. Andi Clifford, now known as Andi LeBeau, defeated Allen in the 2018 election and served until 2022, when Penn defeated her.
Posey’s 2024 win marked the latest swing of the party pendulum.
Justin Morgan
Morgan won the GOP nomination in August as a write-in.
He told Cowboy State Daily he runs more conservative than Posey, but has heard only good things about Posey’s character.
Both men voiced skepticism toward AI data centers, and differed on renewable energy, County10 reported.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
