Democrat Posey ousts incumbent Penn in House District 33 race

SHOSHONE ROSE CASINO—It was a rough year for Ivan Posey to be on the campaign trail. His sister passed away, as did two nephews, a niece and the mother of his oldest son. At times he considered dropping out.

“But I reflected back to family support and friend support, and realized those people that left would have probably wanted me to hang in there,” Posey said. “So I think I went through this campaign with a heavy heart, and it paid off.”

Posey, a Democrat and Eastern Shoshone educator from the Wind River Reservation, captured the House District 33 seat from incumbent Sarah Penn with 56% of the vote, according to Fremont County’s unofficial results.

After giving out hugs and thank yous at the Shoshone Rose Casino, where his supporters gathered for a watch party, Posey said, “now the work starts.”

“I’m so humbled of all the support and the votes that people put their trust in me,” he said. “So I’m gonna do my best to represent all the people of District 33.”

The former Eastern Shoshone Business Council member, who is the Tribal Education Coordinator for Central Wyoming College, also vowed to be civil. “In a divisive atmosphere, nothing gets done,” Posey said. 

He will be the sole Indigenous lawmaker in the Wyoming Legislature. Sen. Affie Ellis (R-Cheyenne), a Navajo lawyer who’s been in office since 2017, will retire at the end of the year. Posey was born and raised on the reservation. 

Penn established herself as a reliably right-wing vote and advocate in the statehouse, raising her profile with the powerful Wyoming Freedom Caucus and becoming a favorite among its supporters. The small-government Republican believes the federal government has overreached when it comes to public land, doesn’t believe the government should fund early childhood education and is stridently pro-life. 

Posey, meanwhile, supports Medicaid expansion and early childhood education. He is pro-life but does not think the government should tell a woman what to do in terms of reproductive health care. 

A diverse district 

Stretching over 100 miles from the Wind River Range south of Dubois to the northern Red Desert, House District 33 is diverse in both its populace and its geography. The district encompasses the major reservation towns of Fort Washakie, Ethete and Arapahoe, as well as the small non-tribal communities of Atlantic City, Crowheart and Hudson.

It covers 2,966 square miles and houses roughly 9,500 residents. 

District representation has changed hands between Republicans and Democrats, as well as enrolled tribal members and white ranchers. Penn assumed office in 2023 after beating Democratic Indigenous incumbent Andi Lebeau. 

The last time voters were asked to elect a representative, in 2020, fewer than 2,000 votes were cast. 

Voter turnout was a big part of the Posey team’s strategy. Advocates cited several obstacles to tribal residents voting — from difficulty getting rides to the polls to indifference in voting for a state body they don’t see as truly representative of their interests. 

Early on, the Fremont County Democratic Party created “commit to vote” cards as a way to incentivize people to vote for Posey. Posey’s campaign schedule also included more organized public events than Penn’s. Volunteers organized a ride-sharing network to shuttle voters to the polls on Election Day. 

Voters turned out in strong numbers across Wyoming, including at the polling station in Fort Washakie. 

Fort Washakie voter Nadine Meeks told WyoFile that it’s important for the majority-Native constituents of District 33 to have representation in the Legislature.

“They need to have a voice,” she said.  

The results are considered unofficial until they are certified.

UPDATE: This story has been updated with final unofficial election numbers from Fremont County. -Ed.