Liz Cheney Gets Wyoming Dems Switching to GOP for Primary, Data Suggests
By Khaleda Rahman On 8/8/22 at 4:23 AM EDT
A growing number of Democrats in Wyoming may be registering as Republicans in order to back Representative Liz Cheney in the state's upcoming primary, data suggests.
Cheney, the state's sole representative in the House, has been urging Democrats to switch parties to vote for her in the August 16 primary as she faces a tough re-election battle, with polling showing her trailing behind challenger Harriet Hageman, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump.
Wyoming Democrats—who are massively outnumbered in the state by Republicans— have received mail from Cheney's campaign with instructions on how to change their party affiliation. Her campaign website also links to a form that allows people to switch parties.
The tactic may be working, according to data from the Wyoming secretary of state's office.
Between January and August, the number of registered Democrats in Wyoming dropped by 6,069 while the number of registered Republicans in Wyoming increased by 11,495, according to the data. The number of unaffiliated voters dropped by 1,575 over that period.
Wyoming law allows for same-day voter registration and party changes, meaning some could even switch party affiliations to Republican on August 16, cast a ballot for Cheney and switch back before November.
"There aren't enough Democrats in Wyoming to save her, but this confirms that Liz Cheney has effectively switched parties," Tim Murtaugh, an advisor to Hageman, told Newsweek.
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https://www.newsweek.com/liz-cheney-wyoming-dems-switching-gop-primary-data-1731628
