Rep. Liz Cheney Loses In Landslide To Trump-Backed Hageman

Topline

Trump-endorsed attorney Harriet Hageman cruised to victory Tuesday over Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) in the GOP primary for Wyoming’s lone House seat, ousting the three-term congresswoman who became one of the faces of Republican opposition to former President Donald Trump after January 6.

Key Facts

The AP called the race for Hageman at 10:21 p.m. EDT Wednesday, with an estimated 21% of the vote counted.

Hageman held a lead with 60.6% of the vote, followed by Cheney at 35.1%.

Hageman should handily win November’s general election—a Democrat hasn’t held Wyoming’s House seat since 1978.

Key Background

A heavy loss for Cheney was expected Tuesday night since she’s become a pariah in top Republican circles over her opposition to Trump, even as her national profile soared due to her prominent role as vice chairwoman of the House January 6 committee. Cheney was ousted as head of the House Republican conference—the third-highest-ranking House GOP role—in May of 2021 over her vote to impeach Trump on charges relating to January 6. Fellow Republicans ostracized her even more when she agreed to serve on the committee investigating the riot. The Republican National Committee adopted a resolution in February censuring Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), the only other Republican on the nine-member committee. The congresswoman’s reelection chances appeared so grim heading into her election that her campaign reached out to registered Democrats in Wyoming urging them to switch parties to vote for Cheney in the GOP primary.

What To Watch For

Cheney has not ruled out running for president in 2024, but has said Trump “cannot be our (Republican) nominee” again. Cheney’s coy approach to questions about presidential ambitions has led many pundits and media figures to promote her as a potential conservative alternative to Trump if he chooses to run for president again.

Big Number

2. That’s how many of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump that will appear on November general election ballots, and of those two—Reps. Dan Newhouse (Wash.) and David Valadao (Calif.)—only Newhouse appears likely to win another term. Four of the 10 impeachment Republicans retired, while another four lost in primaries. Valadao survived under California’s jungle primary system but his district has been redrawn to favor Democrats in general elections.

Further Reading

RNC Censures Reps. Liz Cheney And Adam Kinzinger For Serving On Jan. 6 Committee (Forbes)

Liz Cheney Ousted As GOP Conference Chair In Overwhelming Voice Vote (Forbes)

Cheney urging Wyoming Democrats to switch parties to vote for her in primary (The Hill)