Sweetwater County GOP voters oust Stith and Niemiec, retain two incumbents

GREEN RIVER—In Sweetwater County, Republican voters split in electing representatives, sending two incumbents packing and putting incumbent Reps. J.T. Larson and Cody Wylie, both of Rock Springs, back in Cheyenne. Challengers Darin McCann and Marlene Brady will represent Sweetwater County after ousting incumbent Reps. Clark Stith of Rock Springs and Tony Niemiec of Green River, according to complete but unofficial results.

The contests were waged amid a controversy over widely distributed mailings that prompted a defamation lawsuit by Larson and Wylie against the Freedom Caucus’ political action committee. The mailers alleged the pair voted to remove former President Donald Trump from this year’s presidential ballot, but no such vote occurred in the Wyoming Legislature.

“I’m kind of saddened, not just for me,” said Niemiec, one of two Sweetwater incumbents upset by the Freedom Caucus tide. “It looks like the Freedom Caucus will be in power in the House.”

He predicted “cuts, cuts, cuts” to the state budget. “It’s going to be horrible for the state,” he said.

Stith, an attorney who represented Larson and Wylie in the defamation suit, said the voters in Sweetwater County wanted a change, in part. He was proud of Larson and Wylie, however. “They fought hard,” he said. “They were attacked mercilessly by out-of-state money, but they prevailed.”

Larson said he “stayed on the high ground with integrity woven into the very fabric of my campaign.” Referring to the mailers, he said there’s no room for dishonesty in Wyoming politics. “I am glad the voters were vigilant when they made their choice.”

Wylie called the results “confusing.” When lawmakers meet in Cheyenne next year, “it’s going to be an interesting session,” he said.

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