Liz Cheney Asks Wyoming Democrats to Register as Republicans to Save Her From Primary Defeat
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Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) campaign is urging Wyoming Democrats to register as Republicans to save her from potential defeat in her August primary.
The vice chair of the House Jan. 6 select committee is trailing Trump-backed primary opponent Harriet Hageman in polling.
Her place on the committee, as well as her opposition to former President Donald Trump, has her approval rating upside down in her home state.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten said last week he gives her a 10% chance of surviving the primary. Enten noted Cheney is is unpopular with 72% of voters in the state.
The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney apparently has an answer: encouraging Democrats to cross over and register as Republicans.
New York Times reporter Reid J. Epstein wrote Thursday Cheney is “is urging Democrats in her home state to switch parties to support her in the Aug. 16 primary.” Epstein added,
In the last week, Wyoming Democrats have received mail from Ms. Cheney’s campaign with specific instructions on how to change their party affiliation to vote for her. Ms. Cheney’s campaign website now has a link to a form for changing parties.
Joseph Barbuto, the chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, was among those who received Ms. Cheney’s instructions. Mr. Barbuto said that over the last week, his social media feeds have been flooded with Democrats — and only Democrats — posting about receiving mailers from the Cheney campaign.
Cheney previously told the Times she would not make an attempt to encourage crossover voting.
“That is not something that I have contemplated, that I have organized or that I will organize,” she said.
Wyoming state Senator Bo Biteman introduced a bill in February to ban crossover voting. He said passage of the bill would protect the “integrity” of primaries.
“Party switching cancels out the vote of actual party members by those who wish to game the system and influence the outcome of their competing party’s nominating election,” Biteman said.
Biteman’s bill, which was supported publicly by Trump, stalled in the state Senate.
