Wyoming Freedom Caucus seeks House supermajority

In the two years since winning control of the Legislature’s lower chamber, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus has championed bills to cut residential property taxes, repeal many gun-free zones, expand a school voucher program and require residents to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. 

Those are some of the legislative wins the caucus highlighted in a recent Facebook post. 

“There’s a lot of noise about the WYFC, but it’s always missing one thing: our record,” the caucus wrote. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished.” 

The caucus, which bills itself as the genuine conservative voice of the Republican Party, however, hit a snag during the 2026 budget session when most of its top priorities failed. The group’s leadership pinned that fumble on not having a supermajority in the House and a lack of Freedom Caucus support in the Senate. 

In 2026, the caucus will attempt to win control of the upper chamber and bolster its numbers in the House.

If the group retains the roughly 36 votes it has come to count on, via members and allies, and gains at least six more in the election, it will secure a supermajority in the House — a powerful voting bloc big enough to overcome the two-thirds vote required to successfully introduce bills during a budget session. 

On the other hand, the caucus faces the possibility of losing its majority in the House after it proposed a budget that would have dismantled the state’s economic development agency, defunded Wyoming Public Media, axed $40 million from the University of Wyoming’s block grant, and stripped tens of millions from the Department of Health. 

Those cuts, however, did not stick following public outcry, and the Legislature ultimately approved a budget that included 99% of the recommendations by Gov. Mark Gordon, a frequent Freedom Caucus foil. 

The caucus may find itself on the defensive this campaign season for another reason. Several of its members and allies were embroiled in a controversy known as Checkgate. The incident, which is now under criminal investigation, involved the delivery of campaign donations during the budget session on the House floor. After a legislative committee determined the checks did not constitute bribery, the House unanimously voted to approve a report that said: “the conduct that occurred on the House floor was undesirable and must never occur again.”  

Another part of the challenge for the caucus stems from several of its members seeking other offices. Its chairman, Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, is running for secretary of state, while Rep. Scott Smith, R-Lingle, is running for state treasurer. Plus, several other caucus allies and members will pursue Senate seats, including Speaker of the House Chip Neiman of Hulett, and Reps. Abby Angelos of Gillette, Paul Hoeft of Powell, Ken Pendergraft of Sheridan and Daniel Singh of Cheyenne. 

Two caucus members are slated to run unopposed in the primary and general elections — Reps. Jeremy Haroldson of Wheatland and Pepper Ottman of Riverton. Every other caucus member or ally who is seeking reelection will face a challenger. 

That includes Rep. John Bear, former caucus chair and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Douglas Moore, an energy industry manager, will oppose Bear in the Republican primary. 

After clashing over a proposal for a nuclear microreactor factory in Natrona County, Rep. Bill Allemand and Barr Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer will compete to represent House District 58. Allemand, a caucus member, was arrested and charged with drinking and driving in December. He is fighting the charge.

In Sweetwater County, Kenneth Roberts, a longtime district court clerk, will take on Majority Floor Leader Rep. Scott Heiner, a caucus member. 

Across the state in Cheyenne, two caucus incumbents will face Republican opponents: Luke Reiner, former WYDOT director, will challenge Rep. Steve Johnson, and Jessica Crowder, a rancher and business owner, will run against Rep. Ann Lucas.  

Longtime Converse County Commissioner Jim Willox will run for House District 6 against Rep. Tomi Strock, a caucus member. 

Meanwhile, seven Republican incumbents who are neither members nor allies of the caucus will also go unchallenged: Reps. JD Williams of Lingle, Pamela Thayer of Rawlins, McKay Erickson of Afton, Andrew Byron of Jackson, Ken Clouston of Gillette, Cody Wylie of Rock Springs and Lee Filer of Cheyenne. 

The primary will host several rematches, including one in Natrona County’s House District 57. Jeanette Ward, a former lawmaker and firebrand for the caucus, will challenge Republican Rep. Julie Jarvis, who ousted Ward in 2024. Another Casper-based rematch will involve Chris Dresang and Rep. Tony Locke, a caucus member. Locke beat Dresang in 2024 with 54.4% of the vote. 

In Buffalo, Republican Rep. Marilyn Connolly will run for her second term against Mark Jones, who the caucus endorsed in 2024. Connolly beat Jones and Liberty Poley in that year’s primary election with 44.6% of the vote. 

Rep. Marlene Brady, a caucus ally, ousted Tony Niemiec in 2024 to represent House District 60. Niemiec, who lost by 46 votes that year, will challenge Brady for the Republican nomination.

Three former representatives who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate will attempt to win back their House seats, including former Speaker Albert Sommers of Pinedale, Mark Jennings of Sheridan and Bill Fortner of Gillette. 

Two of the House’s Democratic members — Reps. Ivan Posey of Fort Washakie and Mike Yin of Jackson — are slated to run unopposed. The four other Democrats will face Republican challengers in November’s general election. 

At publishing time, Dave Hardesty was the only candidate seeking signatures to run as an independent legislative candidate. If successful by the Aug. 24 deadline, Hardesty would appear on November’s general election ballot in Gillette’s House District 31. 

The filing deadline for minor party candidates is Aug. 17.