Cheney faces stiff resistance from key Republicans in reelection bid

by mcardinal

Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News

 

Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, already the recipient of censure from her own party, faces an ever-more-daunting task in her bid to remain in Washington.

Late last week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told The Federalist he was endorsing Harriet Hageman, Cheney’s opponent in the Republican primary.

“After spending time with Harriet, it is readily apparent she will always listen and prioritize the needs of her local communities and is focused on tackling our nation’s biggest problems,” McCarthy said. “I look forward to serving with Harriet for years to come.”

McCarthy’s decision to back Hageman was not entirely a shock given that former President Donald Trump endorsed her last September; but the move signaled that, for Cheney, there was likely no chance for recovery in the eyes of pro-Trump Republicans.

Hageman, an attorney who had previously sought the governorship of Wyoming, is running on an anti-liberal platform but one unquestionably linked to anti-Cheney sentiment. In fact, her campaign’s homepage contains a request that visitors “donate now to defeat Liz Cheney.”

“Liz Cheney cast her lot with the Washington, D.C. elites and those who use their power to further their own agenda at our expense,” Hageman says on her campaign site. “She doesn’t represent Wyoming and she doesn’t represent conservatives. We deserve better. We demand better. I am running to represent Wyomingites and take our state back from big government.”

Cheney’s one potential advantage could be the nature of Wyoming primary elections, which allow for same-day party switches.

Under current Wyoming law, voters can change his or her party affiliation and then cast a vote in their new party’s primary. This is big news for Cheney, who has much support within Democratic circles and would likely attract a sizable Democrat-turned-recent-Republican vote in the primaries.

This law has been under attack from Republicans in Wyoming and, last week, Politico reported that former President Trump has been pressuring officials in the state to support a bill that would end this practice and hamper Cheney’s reelection bid.

Trump also took to his personal website Thursday to publicly endorse the bill.

This critically important bill ensures that the voters in each party will separately choose their nominees for the General Election, which is how it should be! It makes total sense that only Democrats vote in the Democrat primary and only Republicans vote in the Republican primary.

Cheney has not offered a response to any of these recent developments, although her spokesman has called Hageman “desperate” for having sought McCarthy’s support.

The Wyoming Republican primaries are scheduled for Aug. 16.

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