The 2026 Election, 11th Edition. The only good voting Indian is a disenfranchised voting Indian edition.

 

By https://www.facebook.com/eshoshonetribe/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61356655

Friends & Brothers, listen: Where you now are, you and my white children are too near to each other to live in harmony and peace. Your game is destroyed and many of your people will not work and till the Earth. Beyond the great river Mississippi, where a part of your nation has gone, your father has provided a country large enough for all of you, and he advises you to remove to it. There your white brothers will not trouble you; they will have no claim to the land, and you can live upon it, you and all your children, as long as the grass grows or the water runs, in peace and plenty. It will be yours for ever. For the improvements in the country where you now live, and for all the stock which you cannot take with you, your father will pay you a fair price.

Andrew Jackson, part of a letter to the Creek, 1829.  That sure didn't come true.

Chuck Gray, auditioning for the role of adoring political paramour to Donald Trump, his beloved and dearest, and thick in the throws of turning Wyoming's voter registration roles over to his dearest illegally, is now seeking to have the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision of Louisiana v. Callais applied.  In so doing, he's sent a demand to the Fremont County Commissioners to redistrict their county commissioner boundaries to wipe out a district that was designed to provide a commissioner from the Wind River Reservation, and he's written the Governor about the legislative districts, stating; "“I believe House District 33’s boundaries need to be examined to ensure compliance with Callais” .

Let's look first at what Callais actually says which few pundits have to date.  It's a long decision, so we'll only post part of it, but that part is where the Court made its decision:

So what that tells us is:

1.  A district must have a basis in more than race.

2.  The jerrymandering by race cannot have a demonstrable impact in favor of a political party.

3.  The totality of the circumstances must be considered.

Chuck, who loves Trump more than Trump loves Trump, has made a name for himself by being a divisive asshole and this will be no exception. The over monied little man who has never really worked likes to scream and howl, but this may prove to be a mistake in his bid for the House.  A large percentage of Wyomingites do not like him for variety of legitimate reasons, and he's been taking flak from the right from gadfly Reid Rasner, to which he's flop around like a fish on a deck trying to react to, and not very effectively.  Gray probably sees this action to terminate Native American districts on the Reservation as serving his far right nut case masters' cause of bringing back the Confederacy, but he's not a lawyer and disrupting Wyoming districts, ironically in one of the most conservative regions of the state, may not go well and is not likely to be appreciated.

There's a fair chance it might not succeeds as well.

Fremont County has a voting district for the county commission that causes it to have one commissioners who is drawn from the Wind River Reservation.  That was in fact the intent of the boundary.  And it has one House District that is also from the Reservation.  The legislator who is from that districts, HD33, is Ivan Posey, who is enrolled in the Eastern Shoshone Tribe but also also has Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho ancestors.

Gray, of course, is a carpetbagging white rich unmarried white boy, but this fits right into the current MAGA effort that's disenfranchising minorities in a country that's on the verge of becoming a majority minority nation.  While they aren't willing to say it, MAGA basically hopes that they can reverse this demographic trend.

They can't, and they'll pay for it soon.

Here, Gray, who isn't a Wyomingite in the first place, likely doesn't grasp that the Wind River Reservation isn't solely an ethnic boundary, but the home to two sovereigns.  So there's a racial and sovereign divide here.  I suspect that these boundaries will hold up.

They already voted Democratic, they sure will in the future.  Gray's ordering the Fremont County Commission and Governor Gordon around may not sit well with the voters, and frankly they're likely to tell him to pound sand, in which case he'll sue, and try to disrupt the general election.  That won't work.

Gray needs to be sent packing.  He needs to find a real job for the first time in his life.  Let's hope he's offered one out on Wind River.

By Elders of the Arapaho Nation [2] - This W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape . based on photo and description here, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1031311

We will note here that the GOP race in Wyoming is turning batshit crazy with panicked Freedom Caucusers concerned that the South might not rise again while one notable one is actually attacking Donald Trump.  Hardcore WFC members are supporting Still Sucking On the Government Tit Bien.  While I may be imagining it, Bien seems to draw support from the less educated and poorer sections of the Wyoming population which demonstrates something peculiar, but I don't know what.  The more likely you are to economically and personally be hurt by Bien's world outlook of no social services and hardly pull yourself up by your bootstraps, while he sucks on the government tit, the more likely you are to support him.  

It's dumb.

Yesterday, of course, we have the oddity of Rebecca Bextel announcing a completely delusional and panicky run for the Governor's office on the Constitution Party ticket.  In a more sane political structure, all of the state's Cornfederates would be in that party.  Poor Bextel thinks she's a conservative, and has this on her website:

Like many of you, I know Megan Degenfelder or Brent Bien would make an excellent Governor! I sincerely hope one of them beats out Eric Barlow for the Republican nomination, but unfortunately, history is not on the side of us conservatives.

Well, that's just deluded, but it's typical of the Cornfederates who aren't conservatives or even Republicans, but think they are.  She's going to lose big and hopefully the WFC does in general, so they can go back to Sweet Home Alabama (where Bextel is actually from) and leave the West alone.

Go home Becky. . . the Southland is calling you.

cont:

And it looks like state legislators are beginning to see the pitchforks. . .South Carolina dropped its effort, Louisiana refused the map Trump wanted them to adopt., Mississippi decided to wait until 2027.

May 15, 2026

Bill Allemand, a complete and total no go on our list, is running for reelection to House District 58.  His DUI trial has not yet occurred.  He  faced opposition from Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer as well as  Democrat.

J. R. Riggins is running for reelection in House District 59.  He faces opposition from the batshit carpetbagger far right.

Art Washut is running for reelection to House District 36.

Last edition:

The 2026 Election, 10th Edition. The Setting the stage for a Pyrrhic Victory edition.

Labels: 2026 Election, Abortion, Bill Allemand, Chuck Gray, Corner Crossing, Harriet Hageman, Jillian Balow, Jimmy Skovgard, Protect Wyoming, Reid Rasner, Republican Party, Samuel Mead, The Law of Unintended Consequences

The 2026 Election, 10th Edition. The Setting the stage for a Pyrrhic Victory edition.

 

We start off this edition with what might be a little light at the end of a tunnel:

GOP Senate Challengers Emerge To Take On Harriet Hageman In Primary

I'll note that the LinkedIn article is the first really good article on Skovgard's views that I've seen.  Personally, I'm favoring Mead.

And something to remember:

Hageman's Senate Run Reignites Criticisms Over Public Lands

And then there's this:

Wyoming Republican Party plans to buck law and endorse candidates ahead of critical primary

The GOP is really playing with fire here.  It's correct that as a private organization the government shouldn't tell it who it can and cannot endorse.  But then, the laws of the state shouldn't give a preferential position to a private organization, let alone a political party.  As a "major party" it has a role in nominating replacement for some positions and has pride of place in primaries.  When challenged in court, and it could be, this might be the first step towards an open primary in Wyoming.  That is, one with no parties noted at all.

In other races, the amount of money being violently hurled by Chuck Gray and Reid Rasner at the House race is simply nuts.  Weekly flyers now arrive, printed obviously by the same company, by both candidates, and television ads appear constantly.  Frankly Rasner's television ads are a little better than  Gray's, the latter of which basically amount to a swooning expression of love, albeit by a man who comes across as so angry its unhinged, and absolute fealty to Donald Trump.  Rasner has, in my view, less than zero chance of winning the seat, but if he has any success at all it will be due to his media blitz.  At any rate, both campaigns are largely self funded, which gives rise to the "well, it's their money" comment.  None the less, the expenditure of this sort of money is obscene and is reason enough that neither man should win office . . . any office.

The Star Tribune ran an article about the Democratic candidate taking on Art Washut, one of the best members of the Wyoming legislature.  Stewart McAdoo turns out to be a South Carolinian, so we'd put him in the carpetbagger category, and he's running on the predictable Democratic seas of blood support of infanticide.  

April 30, 2026

Protect Wyoming ran an ad this morning in the Tribune against Bill Allemand.

Hunters and fishermen should really oppose Allemand, who following the corner crossing ruling of the Federal Court sponsored a Draconian bill on hunting trespassing.   While he claims no present interest in it, he's from a well known Powder River Basin Wyoming ranching family, a region of the state that features very limited land access.  He's fighting a charge for drunk driving in Johnson County presently.

He's being challenged by Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer, who got cross wise in a Bar Nunn town council meeting according to news reports.  Allemand quixotically adamantly opposed a proposed nuclear generator project north of the small Natrona County Casper bedroom community.  The WFC seemed to align with that opposition, showing it thinks so little that its only concept of the energy industry is grounded in fossil fuels.

Democrat Keenan Morgan is also running against Allemand.  Morgan and Boyer are from Bar Nunn, Allemand from Midwest.  The district covers a large amount of territory but uniquely features three small towns, Midwest, Edgerton and Bar Nunn, with Bar Nunn being by far the largest of the three.  House District 58 also includes a sliver of Casper and the large unincorporated area north of Highway 20/26 in Natrona County.

It'll be interesting to see how Allemand, who has a semi uncontrollable temper, reacts Protect Wyoming's advertisement.

May 1, 2026

Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race for the Democratic Senate ticket.  A popular Governor, she was being upstaged by Graham Platner for the bid to replace 72 year old Susan Collins.  Mills is 77 years old, so the race shows the steadfast refusal of Boomers to know when the heck to get out and let the young have a place.  

Platner is an oyster farmer and Marine Corps veteran who is a tender 41 years old, an age that would have been regarded as far from young in any era but the current one. As an oyster farmer from Maine this race is showing the interesting rise of some strong agrarian interests on the coasts, with Mary Peltola of Alaska, a Blue Dog Democrat, campaigning on the following:

 

It's Simple:

The fight for

Fish, Family, Freedom

depends on fixing the rigged system in DC

May 2, 2026

Teacher Brian Costello has announced his bid for House District 37, currently held by Steve Harshman who is running for Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Harshman is also a teacher.  He will be running against far right wing gadfly  Ross Schriftman and Democrat Betsy Erickson.

Schrifman is a Wyoming native.

Conicidentaly Protect Wyoming ran an add on Harshman in today's Tribune:

In House District 57 Luc Colgrove announced a bid for the seat occupied by Julie Jarvis and formerly occupied by Carpetbagger Jeanette Ward, who is trying to get the seat back.

May 3, 2026

About time:

Democrats are not OK with Boomers

Perhaps having learned their lesson with Joe Biden, the party’s voters are starting to reject older, establishment-bound candidates.

May 4, 2026

Democratic candidates announce legislative, county seat bids

All four Democratic state lawmakers will seek reelection. Democrats also have candidates for both commission seats, sheriff, county clerk and more.

Elsewhere I read an interview of Provenza.  Like me, she's been in both major parties, and has been an independent.

May 5, 2026

Statewide candidates split on Wyoming GOP’s plans to defy state law and make endorsements 

Some agree with the party’s decision and will seek out an endorsement. Others oppose a political party breaking election law.

This stands a pretty good chance of being the political equivalent of pulling the pin on a live grenade and then dropping it in your own foxhole.  There's a really good argument there that could lead to the state Supreme Court simply wiping out party dependent primaries under Wyoming's law, and creating a judicially mandated open primary.

Indeed, I hope that happens.

Part of what's amusing here is that Chuck Gray and Reid Rasner, both of whom assert their undying love for Trump whenever possible, are on opposite sides of this issue with Rasner claiming the "establishment" is trying to stop him.  Politicians are big on opposing "the establishment".  Gray likes the new provisions, Rasner does not, probably because Gray is bargaining on the WFC to endorse him with the Confederate Seal of Approval.  Gray was an original WFC Cornfederate, so Rasner is probably correct here that the "establishment" is trying to stop him, if the WFC is the establishment, which of course they'll deny that they are.

Ballow is frank she's opposed. She's been pretty quiet up until recently, but there's a good chance that she will secure the nomination.

May 6, 2026

Trump backed sycophants did well in Indiana where Trump intervened to punish Republicans who didn't vote for redistricting.  The result will help march the GOP right off the cliff its headed towards in theall.

This shows the extent to which the GOP is actually dead, replaced by a group of worshippers who follows the words of their leader, rather than reality.

In contrast, Democrats won big in special elections.

And we have this:

Gray, Rasner, Friess All Send Out Mass Mailers — And They’re Very Trumpy

Yes, they are.  They're frankly really irritating.

May 7, 2026

Elissa Campbell is running for reelection in Wyoming House District 56.

Reid Rasner went to Gillette to speak this week at a meet and great at the city's Prime Rib restaurant and drew a whopping huge crowd of three people, according to the Tribune.

Three . . . pretty much tells you where that campaign is going.

At it he suggested that the 50/50 proceeds swap currently existing on public land rental proceeds be made 90/10 with the State getting the 90.  He claimed there's a lot of support in D.C. for this.  There isn't.  

Rasner has been dumping a ton of money into his campaign and apparently Chucky accused him of spending his mother's money.  I'm not a Rasner fan but that's ironic for Gray, who also is spending money that came in some form from his family.  Rasner denied the charge sort of, asserting that he's a highly successful businessman without really fully denying the claim.  Whatever the truth or distruth of it, it is circulating the internet now.  Anyway you look at it three candidates who should not get this office, Gray, Rasner and Freiss are dumping piles of money into it.

Albany County overwhelmingly approved a 6th Cent ballot issue.

And the Weston County Commissioners, to their credit, said nope to the three GOP picks for Clerk.

Weston County Commissioners Reject GOP Picks To Replace Hadlock As County Clerk

The current system, it might be noted, required the party of the outgoing clerk to nominate three choices, and if the Commissioners can't pick one, the district court judge does from the outgoing person's party.  The GOP's recently fit over complying with state law raises the question of whether this is constitutional.  It likely isn't.  

May 8, 2026

Oh my.

Rasner is now attacking Gray with a radio ad in which he calls him "China Chuck Gray". 

Reid Rasner Launches Attack Ad With Chinese Music, Gong and Ninja 'Hoi!’ Grunts’

I think the best response to that was Legislator Michael Yin's; "“I think Rasner’s campaign is a joke, so I don’t take anything he runs very seriously,”

Yin is right.  Rasner is spending money like crazy, but the primary beneficiary of it might be Gray, as the two "I love Trump more than Trump loves Trump" candidates are sucking so much air out of the room that even Steve Megabucks Freiss can hardly get in a word in about how he loves Trump, and Reagan.

Gray, for his part, has referred to Rasner as "Mr. Kronberg-Rasner” which appeared to baffle the Cowboy State Daily but which is pretty clearly a reference to Josh Kronberg-Rasner who must wonder what the heck he did to deserve this.  Apparently Gray figures that people will do some independent research on Kronberg and accordingly learn that Reid Rasner and Josh Kronberg were at one time married.  If you dig into that, you can learn that, as in this obituary of well known Casper businesman Darrell Decker:

Darrell was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Billie Jean Decker. He is survived by his two daughters, Darlyn Decker McIntosh and Deborah (Debbie) Ann Decker, both of Casper, WY; four grandchildren Ryan Decker Rasner, Reid Rasner and his husband Josh Kronberg-Rasner, Darbi (Rasner) Westman and her husband Andy, and Zack Gentzlinger; and two great-grand children, Damion and Mason.

The interesting thing about that, of course, is that is Gray's backhanded way of trying to point out that Rasner is a homosexual, hoping that people won't cast votes for his vociferous opponent for that reason. 

Of course that brings up the question of why Gray, age 36, is unmarried.  I've not seen anything suggesting he's a homosexual (although Rasner admittedly is and there isn't that much public knowledge on it), but it's hard not wonder why the super conservative, family values, party has figures who don't fit  that mold.  Gray isn't married, Rasner is a homosexual, Hageman has no children of her own. . . *

Well, anyhow.  The ad is frankly slimy.  Rasner never had any chance in the first place, so violently hurling money in this fashion is really a waste.

Chuck also said the following:

Mr. Kronberg-Rasner sues others for defamation, while he’s the one who is actually lying. Mr. Kronberg-Rasner accuses others of what he’s actually doing, just like leftwing insider politicians like Liz Cheney.

That really didn't make any sense, quite frankly, as Rasner has been suing people for defamation.  I guess he's saying that Rasner is defaming him, which is a huge stretch.  The irony is that Gray built his entire campaign on the lie of the election being stolen and screams like a weenie every time anyone says anything about him.  He did so again here, accusing Liz Cheney, who was clearly a conservative, of being a "leftwing insider".  She may have been an insider, but she sure wasn't left wing.  

Normally, of course, Chuck is attacking people in the middle.  If he ordered lukewarm coffee and the waitress brings hot, she'd get accused of being a left wing radical.  This is the first time that he's been attacked from the right and he doesn't really know what to do.  It's clear he'd like to come out and say, "yeah . . .well Reid you're a homosexual", but he's clearly afraid to

Ideally, and the ideal really tends not to happen, the Gray/Rasner fight will take them both down and into political oblivion.  Their campaigns are self funded for the most part, so the longer this goes on the more of their own cash they're draining.  Wyomingites would be well served if they drained all of their reserves, Balow won the race, and Chuck went on to a McDonald's job in Los Angeles and Rasner went back to doing whatever he was doing before.

Footnotes

*Gray accidentally raises an interesting point here.  Does supporting homosexual marriage, which I do not, make you liberal by default?  It's hard to see how supporting something so fundamentally non traditional would not, in fact, put you in the far left no matter what else you might believe.  Of course, maybe Rasner has reformed.  People sometimes do.

Politicians with same sex attraction wouldn't normally be expected to reveal it, of course, but some just do.  Keeping it closeted while being a right wing Republican, and I'm not accusing anyone of that here, is hypocritical, however.

Of course, the GOP is hypocritical on this in general.  In his first successful campaign Trump suggested that same sex marriage would be reversed.  It hasn't been, but then right now its stare decisis that its legal.  Still, Scott Bessant is an open homosexual in a same sex marriage which, if you really believed what you professed, would raise questions, I guess.

Likewise, flat out avoiding having children isn't very traditional, and from an Apostolic Christian point of view, doing that chemically or artificially is flat out immoral.  This is tricker, however, as some people can't have children.  Usually you don't know what people's circumstances are, and its impolite to ask, unless their political persona has interjected it.

Finally, all the talk about relationships between men and women and tradition, it's pretty clear that Republicans don't have a problem with Trump having a string of bedmates in prior days.  At one time even being divorced was beyond the pale for a Republican President.  Now they can have a pre office moral history rivaling that of an alley cat.  If the Republicans really meant what they preach (and in fairness, some in the Heritage Society have taken this view), they'd be doing something about no fault divorce.

But then, that'd be contrary to the American Civil Religion, which holds you can pretty much do anything you want in this category, as long as its with the opposite sex.

May 9, 2026

Protect Wyoming ran an ad in today's Trib in favor of Julie Jarvis.

Jarvis captured House District 57 from WFC far right member Jeanette Ward, a carpetbagger from Chicago who had just relocated to Wyoming when she took over the seat that had been occupied by the universally disappointing Chuck Gray.  Ward is trying to get the seat back.

Late in the day change for Landon Brown.

Cheyenne’s Landon Brown Reverses Course, Won't Run For Reelection To House Seat

Frankly, without a better reason than the one he's given, Brown's action is chicken, as it gives other people who would have run very little time to ponder running.

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is engaging in complete bullshit here:

Wyoming Freedom Caucus Criticizes Nethercott For Calling For “Lawfare"

I listened to Nethercott on this and she's not calling for lawfare.  The WFC is just a bunch of ignorant babies.

Nethercott nearly became the Secretary of State, barely loosing to Lying Chuck Gray.  The WFC has never had any love for her in the first place, and basically hates the rule of law.

May 13, 2026

Just when you think the political far right in Wyoming can't get any stupider, Carpetbagger Rebecca "Check Gate" Bextel announces that she's running for Governor on the Constitution Party ticket. The Constitution Party is a third party that apparently has a copy of a double secret constitution that nobody else has.  She was head of, and censured by, the Teton County GOP, but has crossed party lines, something the WFC generally regards abhorrent, as she's afraid Barlow will win the nomination as the Cornfederate vote will be split between "I'm endorsed by the Blasphemous Donald Trump" Deggenfelder and the Sucking on the Government Tit Bien.

The level of self delusion that a person has to have to think that the Constitution Party can win anything, let alone that there are so many ignorant Cornfederates in the state that they'd vote fora  rich carpetbagging Cornfederate in the general election, is epic.

She probably has the cash to burn in such an effort, however, which is a good reason for Wyoming to contemplate a wealth tax.

Related threads:

Pollice Verso. The 2026 Political Negative Endorsement. The Don't Vote For List.

2026 Election, Chuck Gray, Cynthia Lummis, Dixiecrats, Eric Barlow, Harriet Hageman, Ignorance, Megan Degenfelder, Populism, Public Land, Republican Party, Trailing thread, Wyoming Freedom Caucus

Last edition:

The 2026 Election, 9th Edition. The Sic Semper Tyrannus edition.*

Labels: 2026 Election, Chuck Gray, Democratic Party, Enemies of Public Lands, Gun Control, Harriet Hageman, Jimmy Skovgard, Politics, Populism, Protect Wyoming, Public Land, Republican Party, Samuel Mead, Texas, Treason, Virginia, Wyoming

Lex Anteinternet: The 2026 Election, 6th Edition, Campaigning before defeats.

 

March 20, 2026

The Oil City News has put up its updating election tracker, something we've done here as well, although theirs is an article that updates over time whereas we have to update blog entries, which is getting dicey due to some glitch on Blogger.

Anyhow, a good place to check on who is running, without, of course, our brilliant and amusing running commentary.

2026 Election Tracker: Who is running for office in Wyoming?

March 21, 2026

Former Casper Vice Mayor and City Councilor Shawn Johnson announced this wee that he is seeking the Libertarian Party of Wyoming’s nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives.

The House race has been very active, due to one term Representative Harriet Hageman taking aim at the Senate.  The current candidates are:

U.S. House of Representatives

GOP

Jillian Balow

Chuck Gray.  On our don't vote for list.

Reid Rasner. On our don't vote for list.

David Giralt

Bo Biteman   On our don't vote for list.

Kevin Christensen On our don't vote for list.

Independent

Daniel Workman.

Libertarian

Shawn Johnson

As an aside, we heard a public radio discussion of Christensen the other day, which was neutral, but which makes it plain he's sucked on the government tit pretty much his whole life and now comes in as a far right figure.  These sorts of campaigns, of which there seem to be a lot this year, are much like a new high school graduate being an expert on parenting as he's lived at home for 18 years.

We better list the Senate as well.

U.S. Senate

GOP

Harriet Hageman. On our don't vote for list.

Jimmy Skovgard.

Skovgard has so far failed to impress, unfortunately.  For awhile I subscribed to one of his two blogs which I gave up on as it might be kindly described as blather.  Hopefully some other Republican will announce for this position, as I will vote for him in the primary when I'd rather not, as Hageman is a no/go..

Democratic Party

James Byrd

And the Governor's race:

Governor

GOP

Eric Barlow:  At least so far, Barlow seems to be by far the best choice for this office.  I'm seeing some of his signs around.

Brent Bien. On our don't vote for list.

Meggan Degenfelder. On our don't vote for list.  Degenfelder is from the relatively hard right and has been tarred with the brush of a Trump endorsement, which she really doesn't seem fully comfortable with.  She may be aware that it's problematic.

Democratic Party

Gabriel Green:  Green is associated with the DINO movement, so while he's running as a Democrat, it's "in name only". Indeed, he founded the state's DINO movement, and he might be the only person to run under that banner.  He's aggressive in this strategy, and is nearly as hard on the Democrats as he is the Republicans.

Constitution Party

Joseph Kibler.  On our don't vote for list.

Kibler announced as a Republican, switched to being an independent and is now in the Constitution Party..

Kibler is a carpetbagger and has the typical carpetbagger "I just moved here from California for all your freedom and now I'm going to run things". 

Wyoming State Superintendent of Public Eduction

Tom Kelly

Wyoming Secretary of State

GOP

Robert Short

Rachel Williams.  Williams, formerly Rodriguez-Williams, is on the don't vote for list.  She's the chairperson of the Freedom Caucus.

A carpetbagger from California, she always used a hyphenated name up until filing for this office.  The WFC is packed with far right Evangelicals and generally MAGA has a strong New Apostolic Reformation element that is anti-Catholic as well as anti Hispanic.  She is Hispanic and Catholic and in the category of people that is abandoning MAGA like crazy.  She isn't, but she may instead have wanted to camouflage her Hispanic ethnicity a bit.  I don't know that, but it's pretty odd that she suddenly changed her name for the campaign.

As a politician, she's had all the WFC views.

Democratic Party

Bryan McCarty

Wyoming State Auditor

GOP

Kristi Racines

Apparently State Auditor is too boring to bring very many candidates out to run for it.

Some interesting State House races.

House District 37

GOP

Steve Harshaman

Ross Schriftman

Democratic Party

Betsy Erickson

HD 37 is an interesting race as Harshman is one of the best legislators in the House, and yet he's drawing opposition. 

Schriftman, who apparently attended Casper City Council meetings frequently, is running as a "constitutional conservative" which makes him a no/go, as that uniformly means that they don't grasp the constitution whatsoever.

Erickson is a young Democrat whose already adopted the seas of blood stance of the Democratic Party.

House District 57

GOP

Julie Jarvis 

Jeanette Ward  On our don't vote for list.

Jarvis took out Ward in the 2024 race and Ward, who is an extreme Freedom Caucuser, wants the seat back.

House District 58

GOP

Peter Boyer

Bill Allemand.  On our don't vote for list.

Allemand, who is facing legal trouble for drunk driving, is one of the worst members of the legislature in our view and needs to go.  Boyer is the Mayor of Bar Nunn.

March 24, 2026

Reid Rasner Sues A Fifth Person For Defamation

Reading the article, it's easy to see why Rasner is upset, but suing people during a campaign is a questionable tactic, although Rasner may figure he has no other vehicle to clear his name.

March 25, 2026

A special election was held in Florida for the Florida house district in which King Donny claims residency.

A steadfast opponent of voting by mail, Donald voted by mail.

The Democrat took the seat, flipping it from the GOP.

I'm sure MAGA has some explanation why their beloved gets to vote by mail even though he declares it to be hideous, and why the people of his state House District just said no to the GOP.  But it will be delusional.

A good essay on an election closer to home.

The case for deep Wyoming roots

Chad Auer, a senior policy advisor to Governor Mark Gordon, announced his bid for Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Legislator Tom Kelly announced earlier.  Neither candidate has very deep roots in the state, both being recent transplants.

Rasner and Gray's contest, and of course they're only two of the candidates in that race, has turned out to be surprisingly interesting recently as Rasner has been pointing out Gray's hypocrisy on wind projects he claims are "woke", but which he voted for.  Both candidates oppose wind power, because they love oil and global warming is a fib in their minds, but Gray is exposed on this.  Gray's struggling to respond and has resorted to blaming his votes on Governor Gordon.

March 26, 2026

Another carpetbagger, one Frank Chapman, a lawyer from out of state who moved to Moran about a decade agon and is now some sort of rancher and outfitter, has announced for the House race.

Like every other Republican, he's running on the government is mean to me ticket.  He's self declared MAGA.

In other news:

Hageman Endorses Degenfelder For Governor Of Wyoming

That's a pretty good reason not to vote for Degenfelder.

Must Be Campaign Season: Rasner, Gray Blast Each Other

March 27, 2026

An amusing story about the real Wyoming Frank Chapman and the Floridian carpetbagger:

And yet another Republican enters the race, this being former Cheyenne legislator John Romero-Martinez.  He's running as "100% America first", whatever that means.

He's not on our don't vote for yet list, but frankly, he may be headed there.

March 31, 2026

The Tribune has an article on Chuck Gray's offices avoidance of a Wyoming Public Records Act request on Chuck's blatantly illegal turning of Wyoming voting records over to the Trump illegitimate administration.

There's no doubt whatsoever that what Gray did is illegal.  He should be impeached.

Cont:

Trump interferes in the 2026 election. This will be struck down.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.), the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.), and the Federal Government’s constitutional obligation to guarantee a republican form of Government to every State in the Union, U.S. Const. Art. IV, Sec. 4, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  The right to vote in Federal elections is reserved exclusively for citizens of the United States under the Constitution and Federal law.  Federal statutes explicitly prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote or voting in Federal elections and impose criminal penalties for violations.  (18 U.S.C. 241; 18 U.S.C. 611; 18 U.S.C. 1015; and 52 U.S.C. 20511).  The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains records that, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program under 42 U.S.C. 1320b-7, can assist in verifying identity and Federal election voter eligibility.  

The Federal Government has an unavoidable duty under Article II of the Constitution of the United States to enforce Federal law, which includes preventing violations of Federal criminal law and maintaining public confidence in election outcomes.  To enhance election integrity via the United States Mail, additional measures are necessary.  Secure ballot envelope identifiers provide a reliable, auditable mechanism to enforce Federal law without unduly burdening or infringing on the rights of eligible voters.  Unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.  

Sec. 2.  Establishment and Transmission of State Citizenship Lists and Prioritization of Investigations and Prosecutions Related to Election Fraud.  (a)  To the extent feasible and consistent with applicable law, including but not limited to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and in coordination with the Commissioner of SSA, shall take appropriate action to compile and transmit to the chief election official of each State a list of individuals confirmed to be United States citizens who will be above the age of 18 at the time of an upcoming Federal election and who maintain a residence in the subject State (State Citizenship List).  The State Citizenship List shall be derived from Federal citizenship and naturalization records, SSA records, SAVE data, and other relevant Federal databases.  The State Citizenship List shall be updated and transmitted to State election officials no fewer than 60 days before each regularly scheduled Federal election, or promptly upon request by a State in connection with any special Federal election.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish procedures to (i) allow individuals to access their individual records as well as to update or correct them in advance of elections; and (ii) enable States to routinely supplement and provide suggested modifications or amendments to the State Citizenship List transmitted thereto.  An individual’s identification on the State Citizenship List does not indicate that the individual has been properly registered to vote in the State.  State and Federal laws and State procedures must still be followed for an individual to be registered to vote.  There may be State laws, not reflected in the State Citizenship List, that preclude voter registration, or the individual may choose not to be registered.

(b)  For purposes of this order, an individual is “eligible to vote in a Federal election” if the individual is a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older by the date of the upcoming election, and otherwise qualified under the laws of his or her State.  The Attorney General shall prioritize the investigation and, as appropriate, the prosecution of State and local officials or any others involved in the administration of Federal elections who issue Federal ballots to individuals not eligible to vote in a Federal election, including under 18 U.S.C. 2(a), 18 U.S.C. 241, 18 U.S.C. 371, 18 U.S.C. 611(a), 18 U.S.C. 1001, 18 U.S.C. 1015, 52 U.S.C. 10307, and 52 U.S.C. 20511.  Similarly, the Attorney General shall prioritize the investigation and, as appropriate, the prosecution of individuals and public or private entities engaged in, or aiding and abetting, the printing, production, shipment, or distribution of ballots to individuals who are not eligible to vote in a Federal election. 

Sec. 3.  United States Postal Service Rulemaking on Mail-In and Absentee Ballots.  (a)  The unlawful use of the mail in connection with elections is prohibited by various Federal statutes, including 18 U.S.C. 1341, 18 U.S.C. 1708, 52 U.S.C. 10307, and 52 U.S.C. 20511.  

(b)  To ensure the faithful execution of Federal law, protect the integrity of the mail as a medium for transmitting Federal election ballots and establish uniform standards for mail-in or absentee ballot services implemented through the United States Postal Service (USPS), the Postmaster General is hereby directed to initiate a proposed rulemaking pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 401 and other applicable authority within 60 days of the date of this order.  The notice of proposed rulemaking shall include, at minimum, the following:

(i)    Proposed provisions specifying that all outbound ballot mail must be mailed in an envelope that:

(A)  is marked as Official Election Mail, including through designated markings provided by USPS for this purpose, such as the Official Election Mail logo, as necessary and appropriate;

(B)  is automation-compatible and bears a unique Intelligent Mail barcode, or successor USPS technology, that facilitates tracking and is consistent with the other requirements of this section; and

(C)  has undergone a mail envelope design review by the USPS to ensure compliance with USPS mailing standards, including barcode placement.

(ii)   Proposed provisions specifying that, no fewer than 90 days prior to a Federal election, any State may choose to notify the USPS if it intends to allow for mail-in or absentee ballots to be transmitted by the USPS.  As part of that notification, any notifying State should further indicate whether it intends to submit to the USPS, no fewer than 60 days before the election, a list of voters eligible to vote in a Federal election in such State to whom the State intends to provide a mail-in or absentee ballot to be transmitted via the USPS. 

(iii)  Proposed provisions specifying that the USPS shall not transmit mail-in or absentee ballots from any individual unless those individuals have been enrolled on a State-specific list described in subsection (b)(iv) of this section with the USPS pursuant to this subsection.

(iv)   Proposed provisions specifying that the USPS shall provide each State with a list of individuals (Mail-In and Absentee Participation List) who are enrolled with the USPS, pursuant to a process specified in the rulemaking directed by this subsection, for mail-in or absentee ballots provided by such State, along with unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, for mail-in or absentee ballots provided to such individuals.  The preparation and transmission of each State-specific Mail-In and Absentee Participation List shall comply with the Privacy Act and all applicable use agreements. 

(v)    Proposed procedures enabling each State to routinely supplement and provide suggested modifications or amendments to the State’s Mail-In and Absentee Participation List in advance of any Federal election, consistent with applicable State law. 

(c)  The USPS shall coordinate with the USPS Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice for investigation of suspected unlawful use of the mail involving Federal election materials. 

(d)  Any final rule pursuant to this section shall be issued no later than 120 days from the date of this order.

Sec. 4.  Implementation.  (a)  The Secretary of Homeland Security, the Commissioner of SSA, and the Postmaster General shall coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce in effectuating all relevant aspects of the implementation of this order.

(b)  The Attorney General shall enforce compliance with the applicable Federal statutes referenced herein and provide guidance to election officials, including any instrumentalities thereof; contractors; individuals involved in the administration of Federal elections; or public or private entities engaged in the printing, production, shipment, or distribution of ballots.

(c)  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall, within 90 days of the date of this order, establish the infrastructure necessary to compile, maintain, and transmit the State Citizenship List described in section 2(a) of this order, and shall designate a point of contact within DHS to receive and process requests from individuals and State election officials regarding the relevant State Citizenship List.  The Commissioner of SSA shall provide all necessary citizenship and identity data to the Secretary of Homeland Security in support of this requirement, consistent with applicable law, the Privacy Act, and all applicable use agreements.

Sec. 5.  Enforcement.  The Attorney General and the heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) with relevant authority shall take all lawful steps to deter and address noncompliance with Federal law, including withholding Federal funds from noncompliant States and localities where such withholding is authorized by law.  Evidence of violations of existing Federal laws by State or local election officials; States or localities, including any instrumentalities thereof; contractors; individuals involved in the administration of Federal elections; or public or private entities engaged in the printing, production, shipment, or distribution of ballots may be referred to the Department of Justice for consideration of investigation or charges under 18 U.S.C. 2(a), 18 U.S.C. 241, 18 U.S.C. 371, 18 U.S.C. 611(a), 18 U.S.C. 1001, 18 U.S.C. 1015, 52 U.S.C. 10307, and 52 U.S.C. 20511.  States and localities should preserve, for a 5-year period, all records and materials — excluding ballots cast — evidencing voter participation in any Federal election (e.g., ballot envelopes, regardless of carrier).

Sec. 6.  Severability.  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any agency, person, or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other agencies, persons, or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)  the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                             DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    March 31, 2026.

It's illegal.  He's trying to steal the election and to keep Democrats from voting, although it's GOP geezers like himself who like to vote by mail.

April 3, 2026

As if there weren't enough, another rich carpetbagging cornfederate joined the race for the House on the "I'll kiss Donald Trump's Ass better than anyone" ticket, this being Steve Friess, son of the late Foster Friess.

With so many people running for the House, we better repost the list.

U.S. House of Representatives

GOP

Jillian Balow

Chuck Gray.  On our don't vote for list.

Reid Rasner. On our don't vote for list.

David Giralt

Bo Biteman   On our don't vote for list.

Kevin Christensen On our don't vote for list.

Steve Friess.  On our don't vote for list.

Independent

Daniel Workman.

Libertarian

Shawn Johnson

As an aside, we heard a public radio discussion of Christensen the other day, which was neutral, but which makes it plain he's sucked on the government tit pretty much his whole life and now comes in as a far right figure.  These sorts of campaigns, of which there seem to be a lot this year, are much like a new high school graduate being an expert on parenting as he's lived at home for 18 years.

On the election, the sheer number of far right wing carpetbaggers will inevitably make things tough for the original OG carpetbagger, California Chuck Gray.  Added to that, he's voted for wind projects, which are generally fine with me, in his first real job, Secretary of State, while he's campaigning against "woke wind".  Reid Rasner is harassing him about that but Chuck's record is clear. He's been relatively green while in office. Chuck's a broken record however and is unable to adjust, so he's still doing it, blaming it on the Governor.  Apparently Chuck isn't woke, but he wasn't awake, or something.

Gray and Gordon got into another argument in a public forum yesterday, resulting in Gordon telling him to shut up.  We can only hope.

Anyhow, while Rasner has no chance, Rasner, Friess, Biteman and Christensen will all carve away the cornfederate vote from him and there's a decent chance that most if it will go to Biteman.  All of this benefits Balow considerably.

April 4, 2026

Laramie County substitute teacher Ryan Shollenberger has thrown his cap into the ring for Superintendent of Public Education as a Libertarian.

He'll be running against, so far, Republicans Chad Auer and Tom Kelly.

April 5, 2026

Democrat Lisa Kinney has jointed the House race.

Kinney causes us to add a new category to our "don't vote for" list, that being candidates who are as old as dirt.  The US already suffers massively for being in the clutch of oldsters, the last two Presidents being prime examples.  Enough is enough.

Kinney was first in the legislature in 1984 and was admitted to the bar in 1986.  She's at least in her late 60s, if not 70s.  Too old.  

Indeed, every single occupant of Wyoming's representation in Wyoming is too old to be occupying the jobs they're occupying. 

April 8, 2026

Two cowards:

Wyoming’s Barrasso, Lummis and Hageman silent on Trump’s threat that a ‘whole civilization will die’ if Iran deal isn’t reached

One of these people is running for office, the other is not this cycle.  Both are welded to Trump as they are afraid not to be.

In other election matters, I turned on the tv at noon the yesterday, which I normally don't do, and ads were on for Chuck Gray and Reid Rasner declaring their undying love for Trump.  Chuck looks like such a fish out of water in Wyoming in his ads it isn't funny.  Rasner has apparently super glued his trucker's hat on his head as it never comes off now.

April 10, 2026

Long time state Senator Bill Landen is not running for his seat in District 27.  Casper surgeon Kevin Helling has announced to replace him. 

Landen has been a voice of reason in the legislature.

Sen. Bill Landen announces plan to retire from Wyoming Senate

An interesting possibility in the House Race:

Wyoming’s crowded U.S. House primary race could produce a winner without a majority

Cornfederates are splitting their endorsement over which person will make the most hideously bad Governor.

April 11, 2026

Kibler, after playing musical chairs with his party affiliation, has dropped out of the race for Governor.

House district 58 has a second Republican challenger taking on incumbent Cornfederate Bill Allemand.  One Keenan Morgan has announced for the race, adding to the already running Mayor Peter Boyer.

Last edition:

Lex Anteinternet: The 2026 Election, 5th Edition, part two: The Saddle Up Edition

Labels: 2026 Election, Brent Bien, Chuck Gray, Curt Meier, Daniel Workman, David Giralt, Eric Barlow, Harriet Hageman, Jillian Balow, Jimmy Skovgard, Megan Degenfelder, Politics, Reid Rasner