The numbers are out for Wyoming’s 2024 state legislative primary, and primary candidates have raised and spent a lot of money this election season.
Candidates and political action committees had to file campaign finance reports by the end of the day on Tuesday. The reports only included funds spent and received during that period, not financial activity between now and Tuesday’s primary election day.
Even though the primary season has not yet ended, legislative candidates are reporting larger fundraising totals on average than those reported in the 2022 primary season.
Big Winners
Through Tuesday, Cheyenne 6th District Republican candidate Darin Smith had raised the most money in the state: $85,735, including $55,000 that Smith borrowed from himself.
Republican Rep. Barry Crago of Buffalo raised $81,280 and spent $61,314 on his Senate campaign, which could be considered the top fundraiser of the primary season because Crago only contributed $12,513 to his own campaign.
Those totals surpass the $58,850 raised by former Rep. Drew Perkins in the 2022 primary, which was his biggest haul in that race.
House Speaker Albert Somers (R-Pinedale) came in third this year, raising $47,708 for his Senate campaign, with $7,000 of that going to Somers himself.
Smith also spent a lot, $51,230, followed by Somers, who spent $42,704.
Fort Washakie resident Ivan Posey was the top Democratic fundraiser for his general election campaign, raising $18,854, compared with $24,559 for Republican Rep. Sarah Penn, D-Fort Washakie.
Candidates who filed financial reports by Tuesday’s deadline raised an average of $10,856 and spent $7,941 across 78 legislative campaigns.
The Governor is Busy
Governor Mark Gordon’s political action committee, Prosperity and Commerce PAC (PAC PAC), was the largest fundraiser of any PAC in Wyoming, raising $290,350, including $150,000 from the governor himself. The committee also received a total of $4,500 from two out-of-state PACs.
The PAC spent $212,574, making donations of between $1,000 and $2,000 to many of the candidates in the Republican caucus known as the Wyoming Caucuses. In total, the PAC donated $105,000 to state legislative candidates.
Gordon also personally donated $33,481 to candidates in the state.
After Gordon, Casper resident Scott Wells was the state’s second-largest individual donor, giving $96,500 to three PACs and to House candidate Julie Jarvis, who raised $42,447 for her campaign.
Out of state groups
The libertarian group Make Liberty Win was the most active out-of-state group in Wyoming’s 2024 elections, spending $371,260 on more than 40 races.
Make Liberty Win received a lot of criticism for its email, some of which included: Errors and InaccuraciesThe umbrella organization for Make Liberty Win ultimately removed Wyoming-endorsed candidates from its website after information surfaced that the University of Wyoming chapter supported marijuana legalization.
Of the $8.7 million the group raised over the past two years, not a cent came from Wyoming sources, according to documents the group filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Another libertarian group, Americans for Prosperity, has also been very busy, spending $334,603 on Wyoming’s 2024 campaign efforts. The group has also come under criticism from some for its mailings and the candidates it supports.
Other notable efforts by out-of-state groups include the American Federation for Children, which spent $81,854 on Wyoming elections, State Conference Action, which spent $70,112, Gun Owners of America, $21,000 and Student Life Action, which spent $20,124 supporting candidates.
Wyoming Caucus vs. Freedom Caucus
The Wyoming Caucus PAC raised $103,906 in 2024, falling short of the $131,495 it raised in 2023. But the PAC carried over $126,041 from its 2023 raising and used that money to spend $199,464 during this election season.
A far-right group of Republican lawmakers known as the Wyoming Freedom Caucus spent a smaller amount, $179,875.
The largest donation to the Wyoming caucuses came from Gordon, who gave $30,000 to the PAC on June 20.
Jackson residents Dan and Carlene Brophy have also been busy, donating a combined $73,500 to far-right Republican candidates.
Casper resident Joan True, who has been active in supporting the PAC, donated $25,000.
Incumbent legislators who contributed to the PAC included Rep. Jerry Obermueller (R-Casper, $500), Rep. Lane Allred (R-Afton, $200) and Rep. Bill Henderson (R-Cheyenne, $500). State Senate candidate Rob Hendry also gave $2,500 to the PAC, and former Rep. Jamie Flitner donated $520.51.
Freedom PAC outraised the Wyoming caucuses in 2024, raising $127,417. However, this total included a $25,000 donation from the Crook County Republican Party that has since been returned. If you subtract that donation, the Wyoming caucuses only slightly outraised Freedom PAC.
Additionally, Team Wyoming PAC, an offshoot of the Wyoming Caucus PAC, raised $30,400 and spent $21,900.
There were clear differences between the two PACs when it came to the types and amounts of donations they received: Freedom Caucus received significantly more donations, most of which were under $100, while nearly all of the Wyoming Caucus’ donations were over $100.
The Wyoming Caucus PAC does not accept donations from other PACs or corporations.
Both organizations received the majority of their donations from Wyoming residents.
Overall, 95% of Wyoming Caucus donors live in Wyoming, and 98.5% of Wyoming Freedom Caucus donors live in the state.
Freedom PAC did not donate directly to any candidate’s campaign, but the Wyoming caucus donated to 22 campaigns.
The caucus donated $5,000 each to Reps. Bill Henderson (R-Cheyenne), Dan Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne), Dave Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne), JT Larson (R-Rock Springs), Tony Niemeck (R-Green River), David Northrup (R-Powell), Ryan Berger (R-Evanston), Bob Nicholas (R-Cheyenne), Ember Oakley (R-Riverton), Lloyd Larsen (R-Lander), Cody Wiley (R-Rock Springs), John Eklund (R-Cheyenne), Landon Brown (R-Cheyenne), and John Conrad (R-Mountain View), as well as Marilyn Connolly, Seth Ulvestad, Elissa Campbell, Kat Urbigkitt, and Gail Simmons.
The PAC also spent $50,000 on advertising with Cowboy State Daily.
Local PAC
Wyoming Realtors PAC, traditionally one of the biggest players in Wyoming elections, has donated $147,750 to candidates for state legislature and county commission.
Wyoming Way PAC, based in Lingle, spent $87,805 in 2024.
Wyoming Hope PAC, another group that recently entered the political arena, donated $76,640.
Colorado-based Western Way PAC has also been pretty busy, spending $47,800 on the Wyoming race.
Former state Rep. Allen Jaggi’s Constitutional Matters PAC, backed by a $24,000 donation from state Treasurer Kurt Meyer, has donated $21,527 to various candidates who are members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus or aligned with the caucus.
ActBlue Wyoming, a group dedicated to supporting Democratic candidates, raised $25,675 and spent nearly the same amount.
Dan Zwonitzer received the most funding from the PAC, $26,400.
Candidates have until the end of the year to submit financial figures for their remaining primary and general election campaigns.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
