Wyoming Democrats urge their voters to ‘come home’ as party numbers sag

Democratic representation is at an all-time low in Wyoming politics, prompting the political party to plan a homecoming of sorts. Traditionally that might involve a parade, a football game and sometimes a dance, but the Wyoming Democratic Party is aiming to create its own version of the fall festivity.

“Let’s make this time between now and Tuesday, November 5 — the early voting period to Election Day — our Homecoming 2024,” Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Joe Barbuto wrote in an Oct. 7 op-ed .

“If you’ve been voting strategically as a Republican, feel disillusioned by the GOP, stayed home on primary day, or haven’t voted in several years, head to your county clerk or voting location and register or re-register as a Democrat before you cast your ballot.”

The appeal comes at a nadir for the party in Wyoming. A record-low number of Democrats sought statehouse seats this election. Each of the state’s top five offices — governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction — are held by Republicans, while both chambers in the Wyoming Legislature are led by Republican supermajorities.

Meanwhile, the Wyoming Republican Party has fractured and shifted further to the right, particularly in the Legislature.

Out of the 236,290 voters registered in Wyoming, about 26,800 are registered Democrats, according to the most recent statistics from the secretary of state’s office. That’s more than it was in October of last year but lower than every other October going back to 2014.

While new restrictions on when voters can affiliate with a political party could limit the success of the Wyoming Democratic Party’s “homecoming” efforts, its status as a major political party is not determined by the number of registered Democrats in the state.

Instead, Wyoming law defines a major political party as an “organization whose candidate for any one of the offices of the United States house of representatives, governor or secretary of state, received not less than ten percent of the total votes cast for that office in the most recent general election.”

Since neither the governor nor the secretary of state are on the ballot this election, that status will come down to one candidate — Kyle “El” Cameron, who is running as a Democrat against U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat.

Background

While thousands of Democratic voters in Wyoming switched party affiliation to support then-Rep. Liz Cheney in the 2022 primary election, it wasn’t enough to prevent Trump-backed Harriet Hageman’s sound victory.

It did, however, fuel Republican lawmakers’ effort to restrict when Wyoming voters can affiliate with a political party. The interest was first sparked in 2018 when opponents of Gov. Mark Gordon insisted he only won the Republican nomination in the governor’s race due to the support of crossover Democrats. Despite being statistically unfounded , the claims against Gordon’s victory endured, and the Legislature passed a crossover-voting ban in 2023 after many failed attempts.

The ban created two blackout periods, including an initial one spanning the 96 days ahead of the primary election. During that time, registered voters are prohibited from changing party affiliation. The other blackout period is the 14 days ahead of a general election, but there is some leeway. Voters may declare or change their political party affiliation at the polls on the day of the general election, or when requesting an absentee ballot.

This year, the blackout period for the general election begins Oct. 22.

Given the ban, some Democrats who are often crossover voters may have kept their party affiliation as Republicans rather than switching back for the general election, since the process is more restrictive than before. But that would leave the left-of-center party with fewer members.

‘Are you better off?’

In his op-ed, Barbuto said he had a simple question for his “Democratic friends who are currently registered as Republicans.”

“Are you better off now than you were two or four years ago? Harriet Hageman is a member of Congress, Chuck Gray is Secretary of State, and the ‘Freedom’ Caucus continues to gain prominence throughout our state. Many of you joined the Republican ranks with a strategy to moderate the GOP by supporting candidates who reflect a more balanced perspective. You did this because you love Wyoming, want the best for your future, and believed it was the best way to counter right-wing extremism.

“It hasn’t worked,” Barbuto wrote.

Looking beyond the 2024 election, Barbuto said his call to Democrats is “every cycle to come” and to improve “as a party.”

“That effort becomes so much easier when we’re all actively engaged in building our own party, rather than trying to save one that’s not our responsibility to salvage,” Barbuto wrote.

Cameron, who’s running against Hageman , agreed with Barbuto, but also heaped blame on the GOP.

“The Republican Party has engaged in fear tactics and misinformation campaigns, undermining democracy in Wyoming,” Cameron wrote in an email to WyoFile. “They often claim that voters must register as Republicans to have a voice, effectively silencing diverse political opinions. This aggressive strategy has created a hostile environment for Democrats, making it difficult for county parties to organize meetings, especially in rural areas.”

When it comes to the party’s status riding on her race, Cameron said “I understand the importance of this election.”

Early voting is underway in Wyoming. The general election is Nov. 5.

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