And so we're off and running for the General Election, which in Wyoming's case means the election is pretty much over for the statewide races. Sure, the contest officially carries on, but chances are that the Republican nominees will take everything.
Still, this year, there's a chance, here and there. . .
So, our early predictions.*
Governor:
Republican. Eric Barlow
Barlow is a rancher, veterinarian, and long time legislature.
He's won this race and the General Election in this case is a mere formality.
Democrat. Kenneth Casner
75 year old making his third pointless bid for the Governor's office. He won't win, everyone knows he won't win, and he shouldn't be running.
Casner's appearance says something, however, about the state of the Democratic Party in Wyoming, and it's the opposite of what's happening in much of the rest of the country. In much of the country Democratic voters are rising up and tossing out geezer candidates, but in Wyoming the Democratic ranks are so depleted the Democrats are falling back on them, which is not a good sign.
Casner would have done his party a favor if he hadn't run.
Constitution Party: Rebecca Bextel.
The Constitution Party is a gadfly far right political party which was once the home of people who now populate the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Indeed, it's their proper home, which shows in the one candidate of theirs which we know to exist, Rebecca Bextel.
The central figure in CheckGate, Bextel is flat out delusional and is running as she feared that Brent Bien would lose and there would not be any candidates running for the true interpretation of the Double Secret Constitution known only to the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Bextel appears to seriously believe that Barlow could only win if vast hoards of Democrats, which don't exist in Wyoming crossed over to vote for Barlow and that in the general election the great mass of MAGA/WFC true believers will carry the day.
With the WFC having received a titanic dope slap in the primary, a rational person in her position would drop out. But then, running as a Constitution Party candidate shows demonstrated irrationality.
Endorsement: Barlow by far.
Secretary of State
Republican: Robert Short.
Short is an excellent choice and will take the office.
Democrat: Bryan McCarthy.
McCarty actually has an impressive business background and has worked as an auditor. He should be given credit for running, although he probably should have run for State Auditor.
He's going to lose and it's not even going to be close.
Endorsement: Robert Short.
State Auditor
Republican Kristi Racines won an uncontested Republican primary race and no Democrats ran.
State Treasurer
Curt Meier won his bid to run again in the primary for the Republicans and no Democrats ran.
Senator
Republican: Harriet Hageman.
63 (soon to be 64) year old incumbent Congressman with a terrible record on public lands who came up due to the "hate Cheney" wave two years ago. If she wins, she'll be 70 at the end of her first term.
Democrat: James Byrd.
72 year old former legislator, geophysicist, and businessman. Really impressive overall, but he is in his 70s.
This race features two candidates who are pushing what we regard age limits. Hageman is a nightmare of a candidate however.
Byrd actually stands a chance in this race, but it's a real uphill battle.
Endorsement: We won't vote for Hageman, which leaves Byrd the only realistic choice, and by and large he's a good one, but we aren't doing an endorsement yet.
House of Representatives
Republican: Chuck Gray
Gray is a carpetbagger about whom Wyomingites know utterly nothing, other than he's an adoring sycophant of Donald Trump, he sent Wyoming's voter rolls to the Federal Government illegally, he has a nasty public personality, and he's a Californian who went to Wharton. About him personally, we know utterly nothing.
Having received only 25% of the primary vote, his election to the House can't be assured.
Democrat: Lisa Kinney
About the worst candidate the Democrats could have chosen for this position, 75 year old Kinney can't win the office and is a remnant of an earlier era in more ways than one. Her being the nominee is a sign of the absolutely pathetic state of the Wyoming Democratic Party.
Libertarian: Shaun Johnson
Like the Constitution Party, the Libertarian Party has become so obscure their state's organization doesn't even list their candidates. This is the only one we know to exist.
Johnson is a lawyer presently in Thermopolis. I don't think he stands a chance, but I'll note that former Wyoming legislator Tim Stubson, who once ran for Congress, has endorsed him, which shows the depth to which a lot of Republicans despise Chuck Gray.
Write In: Kevin Christensen?
A building movement to mount a write in campaign for Christensen, who ran in the GOP primary, exists. He came up late in the primary election and got 21,632 to Chuck's 31,222. While that's about 9,000 more votes, both Balow and Gilat, both seen as early possibilities for defeating Chuck, received over 10,000 votes. Even gadfly Reid Rasner received a little over 10,000 votes.
If we had Alaska's system, Christensen, along with Friess and Balow, would be on the election in the Fall. If we had the system in which the top two vote getters were on the ballot, Gray and Friess would be. Given all of this, there's a really strong indicator that many of those who voted for a candidate other than Gray would vote for Christensen.
Overall, therefore, this race remains in a state of flux while its seen if enough momentum can build up to create a write in campaign for Christensen against a well funded Chuck.
Endorsement: Kevin Christensen. I'm early in doing this, and I note that some disaffected Republicans are saying they'll vote for Kinney. But Kinney is at best a lesser of two evils.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Republican: Steve Harshman
Harsham is a long time Wyoming educator from Natrona County who was in the legislature for many years. He's an excellent choice for this office.and he will win it.
Democrat: Ana Cordova.
Cordova won the contested Democratic primary. She's a Wyoming native and extremely well educated. She only returned to the state recently, however, and really has no chance in this race.
And so we're off and running for the General Election, which in Wyoming's case means the election is pretty much over for the statewide races. Sure, the contest officially carries on, but chances are that the Republican nominees will take everything.
Still, this year, there's a chance, here and there. . .
So, our early predictions.*
Governor:
Republican. Eric Barlow
Barlow is a rancher, veterinarian, and long time legislature.
He's won this race and the General Election in this case is a mere formality.
Democrat. Kenneth Casner
75 year old making his third pointless bid for the Governor's office. He won't win, everyone knows he won't win, and he shouldn't be running.
Casner's appearance says something, however, about the state of the Democratic Party in Wyoming, and it's the opposite of what's happening in much of the rest of the country. In much of the country Democratic voters are rising up and tossing out geezer candidates, but in Wyoming the Democratic ranks are so depleted the Democrats are falling back on them, which is not a good sign.
Casner would have done his party a favor if he hadn't run.
Constitution Party: Rebecca Bextel.
The Constitution Party is a gadfly far right political party which was once the home of people who now populate the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Indeed, it's their proper home, which shows in the one candidate of theirs which we know to exist, Rebecca Bextel.
The central figure in CheckGate, Bextel is flat out delusional and is running as she feared that Brent Bien would lose and there would not be any candidates running for the true interpretation of the Double Secret Constitution known only to the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Bextel appears to seriously believe that Barlow could only win if vast hoards of Democrats, which don't exist in Wyoming crossed over to vote for Barlow and that in the general election the great mass of MAGA/WFC true believers will carry the day.
With the WFC having received a titanic dope slap in the primary, a rational person in her position would drop out. But then, running as a Constitution Party candidate shows demonstrated irrationality.
Endorsement: Barlow by far.
Secretary of State
Republican: Robert Short.
Short is an excellent choice and will take the office.
Democrat: Bryan McCarthy.
McCarty actually has an impressive business background and has worked as an auditor. He should be given credit for running, although he probably should have run for State Auditor.
He's going to lose and it's not even going to be close.
Endorsement: Robert Short.
State Auditor
Republican Kristi Racines won an uncontested Republican primary race and no Democrats ran.
State Treasurer
Curt Meier won his bid to run again in the primary for the Republicans and no Democrats ran.
Senator
Republican: Harriet Hageman.
63 (soon to be 64) year old incumbent Congressman with a terrible record on public lands who came up due to the "hate Cheney" wave two years ago. If she wins, she'll be 70 at the end of her first term.
Democrat: James Byrd.
72 year old former legislator, geophysicist, and businessman. Really impressive overall, but he is in his 70s.
This race features two candidates who are pushing what we regard age limits. Hageman is a nightmare of a candidate however.
Byrd actually stands a chance in this race, but it's a real uphill battle.
Endorsement: We won't vote for Hageman, which leaves Byrd the only realistic choice, and by and large he's a good one, but we aren't doing an endorsement yet.
House of Representatives
Republican: Chuck Gray
Gray is a carpetbagger about whom Wyomingites know utterly nothing, other than he's an adoring sycophant of Donald Trump, he sent Wyoming's voter rolls to the Federal Government illegally, he has a nasty public personality, and he's a Californian who went to Wharton. About him personally, we know utterly nothing.
Having received only 25% of the primary vote, his election to the House can't be assured.
Democrat: Lisa Kinney
About the worst candidate the Democrats could have chosen for this position, 75 year old Kinney can't win the office and is a remnant of an earlier era in more ways than one. Her being the nominee is a sign of the absolutely pathetic state of the Wyoming Democratic Party.
Libertarian: Shaun Johnson
Like the Constitution Party, the Libertarian Party has become so obscure their state's organization doesn't even list their candidates. This is the only one we know to exist.
Johnson is a lawyer presently in Thermopolis. I don't think he stands a chance, but I'll note that former Wyoming legislator Tim Stubson, who once ran for Congress, has endorsed him, which shows the depth to which a lot of Republicans despise Chuck Gray.
Write In: Kevin Christensen?
A building movement to mount a write in campaign for Christensen, who ran in the GOP primary, exists. He came up late in the primary election and got 21,632 to Chuck's 31,222. While that's about 9,000 more votes, both Balow and Gilat, both seen as early possibilities for defeating Chuck, received over 10,000 votes. Even gadfly Reid Rasner received a little over 10,000 votes.
If we had Alaska's system, Christensen, along with Friess and Balow, would be on the election in the Fall. If we had the system in which the top two vote getters were on the ballot, Gray and Friess would be. Given all of this, there's a really strong indicator that many of those who voted for a candidate other than Gray would vote for Christensen.
Overall, therefore, this race remains in a state of flux while its seen if enough momentum can build up to create a write in campaign for Christensen against a well funded Chuck.
Endorsement: Kevin Christensen. I'm early in doing this, and I note that some disaffected Republicans are saying they'll vote for Kinney. But Kinney is at best a lesser of two evils.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Republican: Steve Harshman
Harsham is a long time Wyoming educator from Natrona County who was in the legislature for many years. He's an excellent choice for this office.and he will win it.
Democrat: Ana Cordova.
Cordova won the contested Democratic primary. She's a Wyoming native and extremely well educated. She only returned to the state recently, however, and really has no chance in this race.
Endorsement: Harshman.
Other races:
We'll no doubt comment on some as time goes by, but will hold off for the most part right now.
Well, as of this morning, I've seen the first disaffected far right local candidate express support for a Bien write in campaign, based on the delusion that there's a lot of Bien support out there (there isn't, he came in third).
The same person, I note, tried to run for County Commissioner and fell far short of the necessary numbers to get on the ballot, so I doubt that they have much influence.
Anyhow, what's surprising is that this person expressed disdain for Bextel and even more disdain for Harriet Hageman, stating that Hageman is just a reliable flunky for Trump. The outrage seems to be inspired by Hageman supporting Degenfelder as Trump did. The Wyoming GOP in fact endorsed Bien, Gray and Hageman, with Hageman showing independence from Trump late in the race, but endorsing Degenfelder.
It's hard for these people to accept that people just don't want to elect far right person like Bien. They don't. But imaging that they do is some sort of salve.
Having said all of that, there's definitely a movement amongst the ignorant far right to write Bien in. They're infighting right now with the Bextel supporters. Both groups are throwing around Wyoming's "sore loser" law as if they know what it means, but they don't .There's nothing whatsoever that keeps a voter from writing in any name. What the law prohibits is a candidate who has already lost a primary to then run as the nominee of another party.
Anyhow, it's interesting in that far right fanatics are already indicating that they're supporting a defeated Bien, and not Bextel, in the Governor's race, with some screaming for Bextel support. Neither of those candidates is going to win that race, but we are seeing the casting about for alternatives going on.
All that serves as a reminder that the Common Sense Republicans still have a lot of work to do, as they need to take back the party organization. The Sturmabteilung is still in control of the party and is reeling. It needs to be tossed out.
August 25, 2026
The WFC radicals just can't get it through their skulls that people don't like them.
Bien, at least, is more realistic about what a write in campaign against Barlow would mean, which would just be an embarrassment to him.
This entire story is a fart in a windstorm. No serious number of people are going to write Bien in, or vote for Bextel. This race is over. It is interesting, however.
The state GOP is controlled by WFC members and endorsed Bien, Hageman, and Gray. Trump endorsed Gray, Hageman and Degenfelder. Ultimately, Hageman followed Trump, thumbed her nose at the state GOP, and also endorsed Degenfelder. For that reason, the WFC, including its members on committees, revolted against Hageman, but to no effect. Now they're miffed at Trump as well, seemingly not realizing that without their dear leader, they are nothing whatsoever but a bunch of extreme right wing nuts.
A more interesting event would be a Christensen write in campaign against Gray, which would have a real chance of success.
Drake is correct. The Bien endorsement was not very smart. The ongoing pouting by the far right, which still controls most of the county and state GOP organization, is also not very smart. Voters need to take that on next.
On other matters, Byrd and Kinney made a second appearance together, emphasising dinner table topics.
The topics probably aren't bad, but Byrd needs to decouple himself from Kinney. Kinney has no chance of winning whatsoever and just isn't a good look for Byrd, who could easily pass for a traditional Wyoming Republican. Kinney can't. Linking his campaign to her's isn't going to help her, and it will hurt him.
While Romtvedt was panned on Facebook for this article, he's not the only one thinking in this fashion by any means. To my surprise a hardcore right wing Republican announced he's voting for the Democratic candidate for Wyoming's House District 58 rather than vote for Bill Allemand. While that brought shock from some of the people who know him, and it was pointed out that the Democrat supports abortion, which the Dems would be very well advised to abandon as a position in Wyoming, he also drew praise as Allemand is such a bad candidate. I doubt the Democrat will win, but I bet he does far better than would otherwise be the case.
Frankly, at this point, with Trump now going so far as to attempt to rename Lake Ontario, a lot of Republicans, including myself, are at the point where they're questioning for any Republicans. We have a unqualified octogenarian child in the White House and Hageman, Lummis and Barrasso are sitting around with their thumbs up their asses doing nothing.
August 30, 2026
And today, Rep. Hageman sent out her list of "accomplishments"
This year has been one for the history books as America’s 250th anniversary inspired celebrations from coast to coast. In the final newsletter of August, I want to reflect on all accomplished thus far in 2026:
Constituents First
One of the duties my office performs on your behalf is working as a liaison between individual Wyomingites and federal agencies. An example is helping people who have yet to receive their tax return from the IRS or their benefits from the VA. I am proud to report that my office has resolved nearly 1,200 cases this year, returning roughly $2.5 million to constituents from various federal agencies.
If you are facing issues with a federal agency, whether it is the VA, Social Security, the IRS, or another department, my office may be able to help. We can assist with paperwork, follow up on stalled cases, and make sure your concerns are heard and resolved as quickly as possible. Visit my website to submit your request here.
Investing in Wyoming's Infrastructure
Each year, community project funding gives me the opportunity to request federal dollars for specific infrastructure projects that directly benefit Wyoming communities. For fiscal year 2027, I am proud to report that appropriators included over $11 million of my community project funding requests across various fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills. This adds to the $40 million I have already secured throughout my time in Congress, and I am hopeful to get this year’s funding across the finish line.
A list and explanation of each project is on my website here.
14 Bills introduced
One of my core roles as your lawmaker is introducing legislation that benefits Wyoming. I arrived on Capitol Hill after more than 30 years in courtrooms, often litigating federal statutes. Understanding the fine details of the legislative process, how agencies design rules, and most importantly, what Wyoming needs from the federal government has driven me to introduce a wide range of legislation during my time in Congress. Below are the 14 bills and resolutions I sponsored this year, which brings me to a total of 56 pieces of legislation introduced to date in the 119th Congress.
H.R. 7286 – Revokes the tax-exempt status of organizations performing or funding abortions. (NOTE, THIS ONE I ACTUALLY AGREE IS A GOOD BILL)
Domestic ORE Act – Cuts red tape for mineral exploration on public lands by raising the acreage companies can explore under a simple notice from 5 to 25 acres. A BAD BILL.
SAFE Act – Enhances detection capabilities to combat chameleon carriers. A HORRIFICALLY BAD BILL.
H.R. 7695 – Nullifies the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule and restores active, responsible forest management on National Forest System Lands. ANOTHER HORRIFICALLY BAD BILL.
H.R. 7872 – Reforms bonus bids for coal producers on federal leases designed to cut upfront costs in half. A BAD BILL.
Research and Oversight of AI in Courts Act of 2026 – establishes a task force of judicial experts to examine the integration of AI speech-to-text and automatic speech recognition (ASR) technologies in American courts.
Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026 – Prohibits retroactive climate liability lawsuits and other proceedings to implement or enforce an energy penalty law. A MORONIC CLIMATE CHANGE DENYING BILL.
H.R. 9277 – Prohibits courts from considering agency evidence that isn't based on reliable scientific principles and methods, cracking down on regulations built on flawed or cherry-picked data. A HORSESHIT ANTI SCIENCE BILL.
H.R. 9278 – Requires courts to conduct an independent, de novo review of the facts whenever a federal agency imposes a sanction, rather than deferring to the agency's own fact-finding.
Preventing AI Censorship Act – Gives American citizens the right to sue federal employees who violate their First Amendment rights through the use of Artificial Intelligence.
H. Res. 1374 – Calls on the Federal Communications Commission to modernize America's television content ratings system, so parents have the information they need to make informed viewing decisions for their children.
H.J. Res. 202 – Nullifies the EPA’s California waiver to enforce strict greenhouse gas standards on cars. A BAD BILL.
H.R. 10090 – Implements a new excise tax on private colleges and universities that allow males to compete in women’s sports.
Strengthening Transportation Oversight and Preventing (STOP) Improper Licensing Act – Requires federal safety regulators to audit states issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and unqualified drivers. EH?
Hageman needs to go.
Wyoming is investigating the Attorney General's Office for election interference, based on the presence of aggressive Federal AG's at the polls.
What sort of person served in the Department of Justice anymore?
September 1, 2026
The Tribune ran an article on the Libertarian Party's candidates and the Constitution Party's today.
The article highlighted Shaun Johnson, Libertarian, who imagines himself to have a chance against Chuck Gray.
Somebody would have a chance against the much disliked Gray, but I doubt it's Johnson. Kevin Christiansen has rejected supporting a write in campaign against him, unfortunately.
Christensen appears to be positioning himself to run against Gray in two years, figuring the disliked Californian is likely to be even more disliked by then, a pretty good bet.
Perhaps standing a bitter chance, the article revealed that a Libertarian, Joe Porambo, is running against WFC member Bill Allemand and Democrat Keenan Morgan in House District 58. Morgan and Porambo will draw more votes that might be expected, and in the conservative district, Porambo might actually have a chance.
Somebody who doesn't is Rebecca Bextel of the delusional Constitution Party. She's also written up in the article. The far right wing party that backs a double secret constitution that nobody has ever read is also running Tamara Trujillo for Secretary of State. She will lose.
Rod Miller is featured in a hilarious campaign ad for Democrat Karlee Provenza.
And for September 2, 2026, a reminder that all politics is local:
September 2, 2026
The House passed another stopgap budget bill to keep the government running.
Frankly, I"m not a big fan, meaning not a fan at all, of the big expansion of data centers and I'm absolutely opposed to them being constructed on vacant agricultural land.
This was a hearing in front of the County Commissioners. It looked like each of the current sitting commissioners made some sort of comment at the end, as the Oil City News reports:
Of the five sitting commissioners, only Laird is on the ballot this election. Laird is correct on Donald Trump's position. Trump basically called communities that don't want data centers stupid as life is all about money and he loves money and you should love money because Trump loves money and you should love Trump, and money, but Trump most of all.
This must be a nightmare of Chuck Gray, who has been trying to hate things Wyomingite's claim to hate, and they seem to hate data farms, but Trump, who Gray loves, loves them.
On something Trump and Gray presently hate, wind farms:
Driskill is in the legislature and has been consistently clear thinking.
We have to note that the data center story must be a living nightmare for Chuck Gray. Gray was for windfarms and gravel pits until it gave him a way to try to make himself to be a champion of the common people. Then he switched and made it a plat form for his fairly unsuccessful campaign. Yes, he won, but only 25% of the vote. There's a lot of chatter right now, and it's probably just chatter, but Lisa Kinney and maybe even Shaun Johnson have a chance of derailing him. For that matter, with three of them in the race, and disdain of Gray high, we may very well be getting a minority vote Congressman in the state for the first time ever. I.e, whoever wins may have less than 50% of the vote.
Now comes the data center story.
Gray campaigned on loving Trump more than Trump loves Trump. And he figures you love Trump almost as much as he does. But now it's clear that average Wyomingites hate data centers. Windmills were an easy target as Trump think windmiss are bad and evil and that whales don't like them, but Trump loves data centers and feels that people who do not are stupid.
Oh oh.
It also seems that in the backrooms of the Pentagon the Chiefs may have had enough of Trump's conspiratorial plotting.
Here we have a letter from Gen. Caine:
There's a lot of reading between the lines on this, but it basically says:
1. The military doesn't do politics.
2. The military won't do anything illegal.
3. Any element of the military deploying to the polls, including the National Guard, is illegal.
It seems like Caine got out in front of the Administration on this, perhaps removing one of the legs on an attempt to mount a coup.
September 4, 2026
The Missouri Supreme Court tossed out the bogus Missouri gerrymandering redistricting.
The administration appealed a block of an injunction on the USPS messing with mail in balloting to the Supreme Court.
Footnotes
*We steadfastly refuse to adopt the moronic "red=Republican" standard used only in the U.S. Red=Political Left, Blue=Political Right.
An old friend of mine who is a rancher has been somewhat active in this year's election cycle. He is, of course, a far right Republican.
I say of course as just about every rancher and farmer in Wyoming over the age of 40, and quite a few over the age of 35, are diehard right wing full blown MAGA Republicans. Below the age of 40 things start to change a lot. Most are Republicans, but a lot aren't diehard. They're Republicans the same way everyone in Wyoming is a Republican, pretty much. Generally conservative.
But above 40, they're in lockstep with Donald Trump.
My friend, this cycle, had a big Chuck Gray up near the DOT fence. This wasn't too surprising as his grandson works for Gray.* **
Well, now, all of a sudden the noted friend is posting on the disaster of letting foreign beef into the country. So are a bunch of other ranchers I know.
The Republican Party has been pretty much screwing ranchers and farmers since 1929. It was the Democrats who save farmers and ranchers during the Great Depression. Most small and mid sized ranches would have been utterly destroyed but for the Taylor Grazing Act.
The Trump Administration, for its part, looks at farmers and ranchers the way the Democrats once looked at African Americans, people who could reliably be counted on to vote for the party no matter what. In recent election cycles African Americans proved they were no longer reliable. So far, people in Agriculture aren't showing any thought at all.
Indeed, they're showing cognitive disconnected.
This morning I've seen all sorts of complaints from ranchers about how they're getting killed in this economy, as noted.
And now Trump's bringing in below market cost foreign beef.
No shit. YOU VOTED FOR IT.
Inflation, particularly of fuel, caused by Donald Trump's pet illegal war. The same with fertilizer costs.
WAKE THE CRAP UP.
The GOP is not coming to save you. It's coming to screw you.
Indeed, trade talks just broke off with Canada.
Double digit inflation, caused by a massive rise in energy costs, is about to occur.
Footnotes:
Gray has more affection for Trump than Natalie Harp and Melanija Knavs combined.
The grandson is an interesting case in and of himself. He's undoubtedly the first member of his extended family to go to university. He's in law school right now. He's also a diehard MAGA, and indeed, maybe even beyond that. Now the question of how that happens is another matter.
The common myth, and it is a myth, about young people in conservative homes is that they go to college, where they lose all of their values, and their faith, emerging hardcore screaming liberals if not Bolsheviks. This is, it is believed, because they're indoctrinated in college by leftist professors.
It's largely bull and in the scientific disciplines definitely bull. Majors in geology, for example, aren't going to have time for liberal indoctrination.
For that matter, majors in English probably don't either.
So what's going on here.
Well, a person from a really conservative Protestant background may in fact find a lot of what they learn in college shocking. The Earth isn't 5,000 years old. Evolution isn't a fib. Conquering the West wasn't bringing enlightenment to an oppressed people and, in fact, some of those being conquered where already Christian. The US isn't bestowed by God with a new Israelite like mission, and for that matter, the modern state of Israel does some outright horrible things.
Faced with that onslaught, young people are in fact faced with the choice of accepting that Pastor Jim back at his own do it yourself Evangelical Church is flat out wrong on a lot of stuff, and Mom and Dad are ignorant, or concluding that everything they're being taught is a fib.
Most will conclude, to some degree, that Pastor Jim is wrong on a lot, and that Mom and Dad are ignorant on a lot of stuff.
Now, I'll note, this shouldn't impact member of the Apostolic faiths at all, but in the US some Apostolic Christians are heavily Protestantized and have bought in, through ignorance, to a lot of what the Evangelical far right believes.
Anyhow, a lot of this is about to collapse on an enormous scale, as we'll soon see.
**There was a good Republican candidate running against Gray, Christensen. He had worked for the BLM.
Well, we're getting instead a Californian who worked for his daddy's radio station.
When I started this thread and entered what is now the fourth part of what was supposed to be the last pre primary edition, I had no idea that there's be so many posts in that relatively short amount of time.
It's been a busy primary, including a busy final couple of weeks in the primary.
The election is Tuesday.
There's a lot at stake. Indeed, it wouldn't be exaggerating too much to say everything's at stake. The GOP dominates in Wyoming and the Republican primary will determine if the state goes into the fully delusional right, or pulls back, gets a strong cup of coffee, and wakes up to what's happening. So far, it's pretty clear the MAGA wing of the GOP hasn't done that.
I voted for:
Governor: Barlow.
Senate: Mead
House of Representatives: Christensen.
Secretary of State: Short.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Harshman
There are some candidates that really need to be sent packing this election, which doesn't mean they will be. Earlier editions of this series discuss those people, often in depth.
One prediction on packing. If Chuck Gray loses, and I sincerely hope he does, he'll leave the state. There's nothing to hold him here in the first place, and he truly isn't one of us.
That's been the focus of a late mailer and some television ads. This election cycle has featured both in unprecedented levels. Quite a few of them are disgusting, dealing in lies and half truths, but a few do hit home. The late one on Gray being from Los Angeles, educated in a prep school, and then going to Wharton is one. Anyhow, the money wasted on this election cycle is absolutely unconscionable. Multimillionaire Steve Friess is flooding the zone with them and ought to lose for that reason alone.
Well, this really will be the last of this edition, and it'll be short. We'll start a new one Wednesday, after the primary.
August 17, 2026
Wyoming Public Radio reports almost all of the Freedom Caucus members who received checks in Checkgate cased them.
As of Friday, who candidate still hadn't reported on his campaign finances.
Gray violated the law on this and needs to be held fully accountable. Courts looking at this issue have uniformly supported the states that refused to provide the information.
Gray should be made to recover the information he supplied. This was illegal.
What Gray did was absolutely unconscionable. He supplied confidential information to the Federal Government illegally, and only because Donald Trump is President.
There's no earthly way he would have done the same thing if Kamala Harris had asked for the same information. He should suffer the full impact of violating the law, which is a misdemeanor. He's insist the same if somebody had done the same thing and a Democratic President was in office.
Gray's occupancy of the Secretary of State's office has always been because he saw it as a stepping stone to higher office. His campaign was based on lies. He won the office in a nasty three way race, made nasty by him, against lawyer and legislator Tara Nethercott and geologist Mark Armstrong. Nethercott fell about 12,000 votes short, and Armstrong's presence in the race scrubbed away 14,292 votes. Even a candidate who had withdrawn, Dan Dockstader, drew 3,465 votes. Given that, he received less than half the votes caste and there's always been a strong element in the state who opposed him, just as MAGA's have adored him.
This race will show in the bloom is of the love Chuck rose. Chuck didn't anticipate a well funded campaign to his right from another carpetbagger, Steve Friess, and he appears to be in real trouble. Moreover, Christensen has been, according to what data we can derive, really coming up and may be ahead of Chuck at this point. Christensen would make the best choice for the office of Congressman.
Something must be going on in MAGA world as an old friend of mine who is deeply MAGA and who serves as precinct committeeman suddenly indicated he was not supporting Harriet Hageman for Senate, which is almost unthinkable. He's lockstep with GOP recommendations otherwise and has been all along. He's indicating he's not voting for anyone for Senate and he's predicting that a lot of other people will not either.
For a precinct committeeman to openly declare that nobody is worth voting for in their party is extraordinary. He's wrong, Sam Mead is a good candidate. For somebody who is so died in the wool on the GOP's straight jacket endorsement policy this is also remarkable, as now he's in open defiance of the GOP litmus test.
I don't know what occured. Obviously, something did, but you'd have to probably be part of MAGA to know what that is. My guess, and its just that, is that some MAGAs who are working class folks and sportsmen suddenly realized that Hageman is an enemy of Public Lands and always has been.
This is really worth knowing. While this is directly copying most of the page, here's what they founds:
top SELLOUTS
Note: While Senators Tim French and Laura Pearson are not up currently for re-election, they are the legislators most actively trying to privatize and sell off our wildlife. So we want folks to take note, even though they’re not on the ballot this year.
top CHAMPIONS
Note: Senator Nethercott is not up for re-election in 2026, but has been one of the most vocal defenders of sportsmen and women on the Senate floor, and deserves a spot in the Top Defenders.
I don't know all the legislators by any means, but the antis I know are no surprise. The pros I know aren't a surprise either. Unfortunately a couple of them are leaving the legislature.
Anyone on the anti list here should be voted out of office.
IMPORTANT PRIMARY ELECTION INFORMATION REGARDING WYOMING’S CONGRESSIONAL RACES! The following are our recommendations for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Our recommendations are based on our knowledge of the candidates, especially their positions or voting records relating to public lands, conservation and wildlife. Also important is their commitment to the democratic necessity of making decisions based on science and listening to their constituents, rather than strict adherence to party dogma. We hope you will seriously consider these recommendations which are derived, in part, from 10 years of administering this Facebook page. Note: an email address is provided for top candidates if you want to request a yard sign or assist with their campaign.
The House Candidates are:
• Jillian Balow, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Bo Biteman, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Kevin Christensen, Republican: merits serious consideration, kevin.for.ushouse@christensen2026.org
• Richard Dodson, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Steve Friess, Republican: does not merit consideration
• David Giralt, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Keith Goodenough, Republican: merits serious consideration, senatorgoodenough@gmail.com
• Chuck Gray, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Reid Rasner, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Elena Del Real, Democrat: does not merit consideration
• Lisa Kinney, Democrat: merits serious consideration, lisakinney2026@wyoming.com
• Jeff Haggit, Constitution Party: does not merit consideration
• Shawn Johnson, Libertarian: does not merit consideration
The Senate candidates are:
• Jill Edwards, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Harriet Hageman, Republican: definitely does not merit consideration
• John Holtz, Republican: does not merit consideration
• Sam Mead, Republican: merits serious consideration, info@meadforwyoming.com
• Jimmy Skovguard, Republican: merits serious consideration, jimmy@grassrootsmvt.org
• Billy Benevidez, Democrat: does not merit consideration
• James Byrd, Democrat: merits serious consideration, info@byrdforsenate.com
The primary election on August 18th is very important, so please vote. But be careful who you vote for because several of the candidates would be very bad for public land.
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Vote like the future of your state depends on it. It does.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico hired a five-year veteran of Republican Sen. John Cornyn's office to help defeat GOP nominee Ken Paxton. And Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs picked Republican-turned-independent Mayor John Giles as her running mate.
These moves aren't stunts. It shows the Democratic Party, in spite of a lot of angst about it becoming Democratic Socialist, is in fact moving to the center in some locations. James Byrd in Wyoming is an example of that, and so are these events.
Talarico was nearly dismissed as a gadfly by Republicans early on but now there's very serious GOP concern that he'll defeat Ken Paxton, who so covered with the crap of his own misdeeds that it won't wash off.
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Alaska and Florida also have primaries today.
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The NRA sent out an email today backing Campbell in Natrona County, which is to their credit as she's a moderate Republican facing a challenge from the far right.
