Liz Cheney Loses Primary to Trump-Backed Election Denier Harriet Hageman, Per Projection

Kipp JonesAug 16th, 2022, 9:41 pm
 
Liz Cheney during house select committee hearing on Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) has lost her primary to Trump-backed 2020 election denier Harriet Hageman, and her current term will end in January.

Dave Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report called the race 32 minutes after the polls closed.

As of 11:00 p.m. ET, Cheney trailed Hageman 64% to 31% with 49 % of precincts reporting, the New York Times reported.

Cheney’s loss is surprising to few political forecasters, but still stunning, given her name and once popularity in Wyoming.

She has held the state’s at-large House seat since 2017. It is the same seat was once held by her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Cheney drew the ire of conservatives in her state and nationwide when she voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Her prominent role on the House select committee investigating the historic breach of the Capitol also hurt her.

She was once the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House, but was ousted as conference chair last May.

Hageman, who has called the 2020 election “rigged” against Trump, portrayed Cheney as out of touch with voters throughout the campaign.

Trump endorsed Hageman last September in a statement in which he described Cheney as a “RINO.”

Trump wrote:

I strongly endorse Republican House of Representatives Candidate Harriet Hageman from Wyoming who is running against warmonger and disloyal Republican, Liz Cheney. Harriet is a fourth-generation daughter of Wyoming, a very successful attorney, and has the support and respect of a truly great U.S. Senator, Wyoming’s own Cynthia Lummis.

“Unlike RINO Liz Cheney, Harriet is all in for America First,” Trump added. “Harriet has my Complete and Total Endorsement in replacing the Democrats number one provider of sound bites, Liz Cheney. Make America Great Again!”

Cheney fired back, “Here’s a sound bite for you: Bring it.”

With Cheney’s loss, only two of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last January will be on the ballot in November.

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