Harriet Hageman defeated Liz Cheney, Anthony Bouchard, Robyn Belinskey, and Denton Knapp in the Republican primary for Wyoming’s At-large Congressional District on August 16, 2022. According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Cheney, who was first elected to represent this district in 2016, Bouchard, and Hageman led the primary field in fundraising heading into Election Day.
Cheney voted to impeach President Donald Trump (R) on Jan. 13, 2021, for incitement of insurrection in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. She also voted to support the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Cheney said, “I will do everything I can to make sure the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office…We have seen the danger that he continues to provoke with his language…We have seen his lack of commitment and dedication to the Constitution.”
In response, the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Wyoming voted to censure Cheney. Cheney was also removed from her leadership position as GOP Conference Chairwoman in the U.S. House.
Cheney received 73.5% and 67.2% of the vote in the 2020 and 2018 Republican primaries, respectively. A Wyoming Public Media poll conducted by the University of Wyoming from July and August of 2022 showed Hageman leading with 57% of likely voters, compared to 28% for Cheney and 2% for Bouchard. Ten percent of respondents remained undecided.
Cheney said she is “honored to represent the people of Wyoming and proud of my strong conservative record. I look forward to an extended public debate about the importance of the rule of law…It is tragic that some in this race have sacrificed those principles, and their duty to the people of Wyoming, out of fear and in favor of loyalty to a former president…” Cheney was endorsed by former President George W. Bush (R), U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R), and U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R). Heading into the week of the election, the FEC reported that Cheney raised more than $15 million.
Hageman founded the Wyoming Conservation Alliance and has worked as an attorney and legal consultant. Former President Trump endorsed Hageman on Sep. 13, 2021. Hageman said she is running because “Wyoming is entitled to a representative in Congress who remembers who sent her there and remembers what their wishes are…Liz Cheney is doing neither, and I will do both.” Hageman worked for Cheney’s unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign in 2014 and said that she is challenging Cheney because of Cheney’s focus on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. In addition to former President Trump, Hageman also received endorsements from over 100 Republican members of the U.S. House. Heading into the week of the election, Hageman raised nearly $4.5 million for this primary.
Bouchard served as a Wyoming state senator from 2016 to 2022, representing the state’s 6th district. He founded the Wyoming Gun Owners, an organization that says it is dedicated to “defending and advancing the 2nd Amendment rights of all law-abiding citizens in the state of Wyoming.”
Bouchard called Cheney out of touch with Wyoming voters for voting to impeach President Trump. Bouchard said, “Wyoming was President Trump’s best state both times he ran…That’s because Wyoming voters are strong conservatives who want our leaders to stand up for America, defend our freedoms, fight for our way of life and always put working people first as President Trump did.” Bouchard was endorsed by conservative activist Brent Bozell. Heading into the week of the election, Bouchard raised more than $600,000 for this primary.
Other candidates on the ballot included Robyn Belinskey and Denton Knapp. Before the primary, the Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections all rated Wyoming’s At-Large Congressional District as a solid/safe Republican seat.