Will Wyoming Become A One Party State?

In Wyoming, out of 60 state representatives, Democrats hold 6 seats, and out of 30 state senators, Democrats hold 2 seats. But, they aren't actually realistically at risk of losing major party status because they will almost surely get at least 10% of the voter for at least one statewide office in November.

The Wyoming Democratic Party is at risk of losing major party status if Democrats in the state don’t register and vote in the general election. The Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office reported that out of the more than 182,000 votes cast in the primary election overall, only 4.5% were for Democratic candidates. Republican candidates received 94.4% of the vote, and nonpartisan votes cast were at 1.1%.

The lopsided numbers were the result of many Democrats “crossing over” and voting Republican to support incumbent U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who has taken a strong stance against former President Donald Trump and serves as vice chair of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. . . .  

Cheney lost to challenger Harriet Hageman by 63,709 votes. Democrats need to meet the 10% threshold of total votes cast for any one of the statewide offices — U.S. House of Representatives, governor or secretary of state – in the general election, or else they will be considered a minor political party.

Under state statute, a minor political party is a political organization that receives not less than 2% or more than 10% of the total votes cast in the same office elections.

If they received less than 2%, a representative from the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Election Division said the Democratic Party would need to petition to gain access as a provisional party. Minor and provisional political parties must nominate through a convention, meaning only the Republican Party would be allowed to nominate candidates by primary election, if Democrats lost major party status. Laramie County Democratic Party Communications Director Lindsey Hanlon said it also impacts participation in debates. (Hanlon is also a member of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s editorial board.)

From Wyoming Democratic Party at risk of losing major party status.