One of Wyoming’s million-dollar check writers will be its new congressman

I’m getting nostalgic for the type of political campaigning that used to be standard in Wyoming, but is likely gone forever in congressional races.

There was a time, not that long ago, when receiving contributions from the most people who actually live in the Equality State was a badge of honor for candidates who wanted to prove they had widespread support. They derided, with some success, opponents who depended on wealthy out-of-state donors.

Widespread support has nothing to do with the 2026 U.S. House race, which attracted 10 Republican candidates. Second-quarter campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission show four candidates have each loaned their campaigns more than $1 million to fight for the chance to succeed two-term Rep. Harriet Hageman, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

The House candidates most pundits see as running one-two with less than a month before the Aug. 18 primary are both funded by family wealth. 

Secretary of State Chuck Gray, following the family money recipe for success that helped buy him his current office in 2022, has loaned his current campaign $1.15 million. But that pales compared to the $2 million that Steve Friess has loaned his rookie campaign.

Friess, son of late GOP donor and philanthropist Foster Friess, has only raised $87,000 from individual donors. That’s about $5,000 less than state Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, has collected from donors. He has not used any of his own money.

Financial adviser Reid Rasner has loaned his campaign $1.71 million, about 84% of his war chest. Jackson rancher Frank Chapman’s commitment to himself totaled $1.06 million, which accounts for an embarrassing 97% of his campaign funds.

Rasner has spent much of his own money to make fun of Gray, whom he comically calls “China Chuck” for his alleged allegiance to the communist country. If you have a spare million to waste on this pursuit, I guess trolling one of the most obnoxious 2020 presidential election deniers isn’t a bad use of the money. I’d do it.

Rasner’s criticism of Gray would have more meaning, though, if it was coming from a candidate who has a coherent message of his own to convey. Rasner doesn’t.

But the million-dollar-plus loans have undeniably raised the profiles of all four candidates and paid for massive broadcasting campaigns and the ability to overflow mailboxes across the state.

I can’t be the only Wyoming resident who is offended by rich candidates who have such little respect for voters in this state that they callously plan to outright buy the Republican nomination for U.S. House while playing to an audience of one: President Donald Trump.

Every member of this quartet is an unabashed Trump sycophant who would likely stop at nothing to win his endorsement, which is largely seen as game over for the other nine. But what’s in it for the president to get involved in a primary in a state where three of every four voters are Republicans?

Other than another chance to show that he’s the kingmaker who will reward his most loyal servant, not much. But it’s probably enough to make him do it since it’s Wyoming, and Trump famously handpicked Hageman to take out one of his most-hated rivals, former Rep. Liz Cheney.

One of the U.S. House hopefuls who also challenged Cheney was Gray, who Trump notably snubbed. It was enough to drive Gray to drop out of the race in favor of seeking the GOP secretary of state nomination, where he did get Trump’s nod.

Ahead of this primary, he started running campaign ads without even saying what office he wanted. Once Hageman declared her Senate bid, Gray made his move for her House seat.

Gray’s father, Wyoming radio mogul Jan Charles Gray, spent $700,000 on his son’s 2022 race. Wyoming election laws limit how much individuals can donate to statewide campaigns to $2,500. However, there are no limits on direct contributions from immediate family members.

The FEC second-quarter report for Gray’s U.S. House race indicates that his father, who formed the Protecting Wyoming Values PAC in April, has donated $657,000 to the super PAC, which has spent $519,000 on Chuck Gray’s campaign.

Super PACs cannot directly coordinate or donate to political candidates or parties. They can, however, raise and spend unlimited funds to overtly advocate for or against candidates. 

Chapman is the king of super PAC beneficiaries this year, with the Fighting for Wyoming PAC spending $2.42 million to support his candidacy, mostly on TV advertisements. That’s all money from Republican megadonor and hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin, who has single-handedly helped Chapman make up ground since his late campaign start in March.

So, what candidates have the best chance of gaining Trump’s endorsement? Gray’s commercials typically feature Trump praising the job he’s done, which makes it sound like an official endorsement until you realize that “Good job Chuck” was said at a 2024 Trump rally in Colorado.

The president has previously said positive things about Biteman, whom he encouraged to run for governor. But the candidate Gray is in competition with is Friess, whose father earned the endorsement of Trump in a 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary ultimately won by Mark Gordon. 

Trump is attracted to money, of course, since it can travel back to him, and the Friess family has the most in this race.

How can any hardworking Wyomingite who makes an average wage think they will be best represented by people willing to spend more than a million bucks for the chance at a job that pays $175,000 a year? The winner will also need to keep ponying up every two years to remain a “public servant.”

This is hardly the first time that Wyoming politicians have spent large sums of their personal fortunes to try to win a powerful office. But I can’t think of another time when 85% of the $7.1 million candidates have raised thus far has come from their own wallets.

If voters in the Republican primary aren’t happy with that stark statistic, they should look beyond the four men who have spent the most money. They are basically the same candidate — Richie Riches who will do anything to please the MAGA crowd and have shown 100% loyalty to Trump.

Whoever shows up in the winner’s circle — and it will unfortunately be one of these million-dollar check writers — has helped rewrite the Wyoming federal candidates’ playbook.

It now reads, “If you can’t afford to buy your way into this political poker game, don’t bother. You can’t win.”