How the Freedom Caucus Rose to Power in Wyoming

As state legislatures across the nation prepare for their upcoming sessions, Wyoming is about to venture into uncharted political territory. For the first time in the U.S., the hard-right Freedom Caucus has seized control of a State House.https://wordpress.com/

After ousting several Republican incumbents they deemed too moderate in a bitter primary battle, the ultra-conservative faction surged to victory in November. Now, they aim to solidify their rapid rise to power by passing five key bills in the first ten days of the session.

This agenda, dubbed the Five and Dime Plan, seeks to overhaul the state’s policies immediately. Key proposals include tightening election laws, invalidating out-of-state driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, banning diversity initiatives at colleges, preventing environmental concerns from influencing investment decisions, and slashing property taxes.

“We’re going to unwoke the state,” said Representative Jeremy Haroldson, the incoming speaker pro tempore. The Freedom Caucus also elected Representative Chip Neiman as House speaker.

These are heady times for ultraconservatives in Wyoming, who have vigorously challenged establishment Republicans and embraced the Freedom Caucus identity. What began as a Congressional faction in Washington in 2015, led by figures like Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, has spread to state legislatures across the country, sparking similar movements in states such as Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Idaho, and Arizona. In Texas, House Speaker Dade Phelan, a more traditional conservative, recently announced he would step down from leadership, signaling the growing strength of this right-wing movement as Donald Trump prepares for a potential return to power.

Wyoming stands as the first state where the Freedom Caucus has taken control of a legislative chamber, making it both a test case and a proving ground for their political agenda. Neiman and his team, all first elected in 2020, will be joined by a significant number of freshmen lawmakers when the session begins in January, many of whom have no prior governmental experience.

In the State Senate, Freedom Caucus allies now occupy two of the top three leadership positions.

“This is completely new ground,” remarked U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis, who, along with Senator John Barrasso and Representative Harriet Hageman, congratulated their fellow Republicans on their legislative success in Wyoming last month.

“The rise of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is part of a broader movement in America that looks to the Constitution as the guiding principle,” said Lummis, a former member of both the Wyoming House and Senate and a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus in Washington. “It’s about giving more control to the people.”

Wyoming, historically known for progressive moves like granting women the right to vote in 1869 and electing the first female governor in 1924, has long nurtured a unique brand of pragmatic conservatism. With a population of just 580,000, it often feels like a small town, according to Republican lawyer and writer Susan Stubson. Though Republicans have dominated the state legislature for decades, Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal served two terms until 2011.

The state’s political landscape began shifting when conservatives, seeking to emulate the Tea Party’s success in Washington, began pushing their party further right. This shift gained momentum with the creation of the State Freedom Caucus Network in 2021, according to political science professor Matthew Green, co-author of a recent study on Freedom Caucus membership in state legislatures.

By 2023, members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which formed in late 2020, began receiving text instructions on how to vote on key bills. They successfully passed laws aimed at restricting voter party affiliation changes and banning the use of abortion pills, though the latter is now embroiled in legal battles. The caucus also derailed several bills that had already passed committee review, marking their power within the legislature.

However, the new caucus has faced pushback. Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican often criticized by the Freedom Caucus for being too moderate, vetoed several of their favored bills, including measures to ban gun-free zones and defund the University of Wyoming’s diversity office.

Freedom Caucus supporters are determined to unseat Republican incumbents who they believe are not conservative enough. “The citizens are conservative, but their representatives weren’t reflecting that,” said Representative Scott Heiner, the incoming majority whip. “We saw this as a grassroots effort to bring government more in line with the people’s views.”

In the August primary, more than $4.5 million in campaign spending flooded the state, a staggering sum by Wyoming’s standards. Major contributors included Make Liberty Win, a Virginia group backing Freedom Caucus candidates, and Governor Gordon’s PAC, which supported the more traditional Republican faction, known as the Wyoming Caucus.

The insurgents succeeded in defeating House Speaker Albert Sommers, who was running for a Senate seat, and Speaker Pro Tempore Clark Stith. Two Republican moderates, who narrowly kept their seats, sued the Freedom Caucus’s PAC for defamation, claiming it spread false information about their voting records. A court date is set for January 31.

The Freedom Caucus has expanded significantly since 2020, now boasting 26 members, with additional supporters bringing their total to a majority in the 62-member House. This shift was evident in the election of Neiman and other Freedom Caucus members to the top four leadership positions.

The 31-member State Senate, traditionally more moderate, has also selected a Freedom Caucus ally, Senator Bo Biteman, as its next president. His leadership coalition includes a moderate Republican.

“My priority in the Wyoming Legislature is to revisit the bills vetoed by the governor last session and pass conservative, Wyoming-first, America-first legislation,” said Senator Cheri Steinmetz, a Freedom Caucus ally.

Governor Gordon, whose second term ends in 2026, acknowledged the Freedom Caucus’s gains but expressed a commitment to working with all conservatives on shared priorities, including diversifying the state’s economy and addressing this year’s devastating wildfires.

The Five and Dime Plan, however, is a different vision.

Two long-serving Republicans who lost to Freedom Caucus challengers were Representatives David and Dan Zwonitzer, a father-son duo from Cheyenne. Dan Zwonitzer, in an interview at his ranch, noted the intense anti-incumbent sentiment this year, driven by a barrage of negative campaign materials.

“Now it’s like, ‘get off my doorstep,’” he said, reflecting on the divisive atmosphere.

Despite the Freedom Caucus’s victory, more moderate Republicans, like Zwonitzer’s brother Ty, found success in local races, suggesting a mixed political landscape in the state.

Zwonitzer criticized the Freedom Caucus for focusing heavily on social issues, such as gender, books, and bathrooms. He warned that if the Freedom Caucus remains in power without electing the right governor, the state could face long-term consequences.

Democrats, too, have raised concerns about the Freedom Caucus’s agenda. While they gained one seat in the legislature, they anticipate being sidelined on most issues, except possibly property taxes.

Senator Chris Rothfuss, a Democrat, expressed particular concern over the state’s $30 billion sovereign wealth fund, which relies heavily on revenues from oil, gas, and natural resources. With Freedom Caucus leaders pushing for smaller government, Rothfuss fears the fund could be diminished.

“The challenge now is to protect the system and minimize the damage,” Rothfuss said. “The new leadership in the House wants to burn it all down.”

Meanwhile, the Freedom Caucus has focused on advancing their agenda. Representative Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, the new chair of the labor, health, and social services committee, is known for sponsoring Wyoming’s strict anti-abortion legislation.

In a state known for its pioneering spirit, the Freedom Caucus’s rise is a significant development — one that could reshape Wyoming’s political future for years to come.

“We’re humbled by the responsibility of leading our state,” said Neiman, a cattle rancher and newly elected House speaker. “I give credit to the Lord for our success, and I rely on Him to guide my decisions.”