OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is closer than ever before to potentially losing her seat.
Recent polling shows Cheney down double-digits in her primary against Harriet Hageman, a GOP activist who is endorsed by Donald Trump.
“Cheney, the panel’s vice chair who broke with her party to help lead the committee, is fighting for her political life as Republicans in Wyoming and Washington seethe over her criticism of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans over the insurrection. She will face off in an August primary against attorney Harriet Hageman, who is backed by Trump and his allies,” The Hill reported.
“The race is already anticipated to be among the most contentious in the nation, with Trump vowing to go to war to expel his chief intraparty dissident. And as the Jan. 6 committee’s probe ramps up – with subpoenas inching closer to the former president’s inner circle – so too will Wyoming’s already incendiary primary pitting Cheney against the GOP’s de facto leader,” the report added.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has endorsed Cheney’s GOP challenger, saying in a statement he will back Hageman in the Republican primary in Wyoming set for August.
“I am proud to endorse Harriet Hageman for Congress,” McCarthy said. “The most successful Representatives in Congress focus on the needs of their constituents, and throughout her career, Harriet has championed America’s natural resources and helped the people of Wyoming reject burdensome and onerous government overreach.”
Many others see the writing on the wall.
“I think that the race itself will be really ugly,” said former Campbell County Commissioner Mark Christensen. “I would say probably in the next month or two we’re going to see things get much more aggressive out here.”
“I certainly think that’s gonna hurt her, especially here in Wyoming where you’ve got an extremely conservative base,” said GOP state Rep. Landon Brown, a Cheney ally. “I think this will probably be the bloodiest race in Wyoming’s history.”
Strong endorsement of @HagemanforWY from @GOPLeader!
Liz Cheney stabbed every House Republican in the back the moment she decided to throw in with Pelosi on the fraudulent J6 witchhunt. She's a cancer on our Party & conservatives are united to defeat her. https://t.co/0BLJo00zMN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 17, 2022
BREAKING: I’m excited to endorse @HagemanforWY for Congress!
Harriet is a true America First patriot who has what it takes to restore true representation for Wyoming families. https://t.co/Ah9b3tgqiE
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) February 18, 2022
In a SoCo Strategies poll conducted to gauge the impact of Trump endorsements, Cheney is 18-points behind Trump-backed Hageman.
The new survey of Republican voters found that Hageman leads Cheney, 38%-18%.
The independent survey — not done for Cheney or Hageman — was included in a handful of other state results showing that a Trump endorsement can be a game-changer.
The endangered RINO lawmaker also recently came under fire after she chose to mingle with reporters and media executives over attending an annual grassroots event.
Wyoming Republicans held a major fundraiser, which has been labeled as the “biggest night of the year” for the area’s Republicans.
Cheney, however, was in the state capital of Cheyenne at an annual gathering for the Wyoming Press Association.
Even the NYT reported that Cheney’s focus on Washington rather than Wyoming “is raising questions in Wyoming about whether she is counting on Democrats to bail her out in the August primary — or even whether she really is battling to hold on to her office.”
While speaking with the NYT, Cheney said she wasn’t going to spend time talking to “crazies.”
“I’m not going to convince the crazies and I reject the crazies,” Cheney told the NYT while gathered with reporters instead of supporters at the fundraiser.
