Wyoming Freedom Caucus

Wyoming Freedom Caucus
ChairRachel Rodriguez-Williams
Vice ChairChris Knapp
FoundedSeptember 2020 (2020-09)[1]
Ideology
Political position
National affiliationState Freedom Caucus Network
Seats in the House Republican Conference
34 / 56
Seats in the State House
34 / 62
[2]
Website
Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Wyoming Freedom PAC

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is a caucus in the Wyoming Legislature. It is generally considered the most conservative bloc in the legislature. It was formed in September 2020 by Wyoming conservatives inspired by the national House Freedom Caucus.[1] Since 2024, the caucus has a majority of seats in the Wyoming House of Representatives.[3]

History

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus was formed in Story, Wyoming in September 2020 by 18 to 20 Republican members of the Wyoming House of Representatives.[4]

Starting in at least 2023, the caucus's members are sent messages from the national State Freedom Caucus Network's Wyoming state director that indicate the caucus's official stance on bills presented to the legislature, a practice known as "logrolling". It has been hypothesized by non-caucus affiliated Republican representatives, including Dan Zwonitzer that the caucus votes as a bloc in forced roll-call votes to appear more conservative than non-caucus Republicans.[5]

During the 2023–2024 legislative session, the caucus supported bills that made it harder for voters to change party affiliation,[6] banned the use of pills for abortion, banned gun-free zones, and defunded the diversity office of the University of Wyoming. The latter two were vetoed by Governor Mark Gordon.[3] They opposed bills that would have made it easier for people without insurance to access care at community mental health centers, created misdemeanor and felony offenses for intimidating election officers, raise fees for nonresident fishing licenses, and 10 other bills crafted in committee.[7]

In the 2024 primaries, the caucus was backed by Virginia-based group Make Liberty Win.[3] In primaries, their supported candidates defeated Speaker Albert Sommers for Wyoming Senate, and the re-election bids of Speaker Pro Tem Clark Stith, Representatives David Zwonitzer, Dan Zwonitzer, Tom Walters, and Ember Oakley.[3][8]

Since 2024, the caucus has a majority of seats in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Caucus members also hold every leadership position in the House. Speaker Chip Neiman and caucus chairman Rachel Rodriguez-Williams said that in the new legislative session, bills not previously given the chance to be considered will be put on the agenda. The Wyoming Republican Party, controlled by a caucus-aligned leadership, are expected to be invited to have a closer relationship with legislators after multiple years of being shut out of political activity.[9] Following the 2024 senate elections, the caucus' allies hold two of the top three leadership positions.[3]

The caucus has repeatedly sparred with Governor Mark Gordon over his policy, which they deem insufficiently conservative.[3][10][11][12][13][14][15]

In February 2026, the House formed a Special Investigative Committee after Teton County activist Rebecca Bextel distributed checks to caucus-aligned lawmakers on the House floor; the episode featured in campaign mailers targeting caucus candidates during the 2026 primaries.[16]

During the 2026 primaries, the Freedom Caucus lost a significant number of seats to more moderate Republicans, with their bloc in the House projected to shrink from 35 members to 10.[17] Among those who lost their seats were John Bear (House Appropriations Chair) and Scott Heiner (Majority Floor Leader).[17] The New York Times described the election results as "an empathic rebuke of the hard right" and noted that not only did many Freedom Caucus members lose re-election, but many members also lost in their attempts at unseating currently-serving moderates.[18]

Political positions

One of the caucus's major agenda items is the "Five and Dime Plan," which includes immigration measures, ending diversity programs at colleges and universities, cutting taxes, adding election-registration rules, and prohibiting environmental and social factors from being considered for state investments.[19]

Speaker Pro Temp Jeremy Haroldson said further priorities of the caucus include putting up a physical vote scoreboard at the Legislature, banning ballot drop boxes, banning gun-free zones in Wyoming, establishing anti-SLAPP laws, addressing eminent domain laws, requiring age verification to visit pornography websites, extending a ban on transgender participation in female sports to the collegiate level, and establishing universal school choice.[9]

Co-founder of the caucus and former representative Tim Hallinan said that further priorities include preserving the right to life and opposing abortion rights.[4]

List of caucus leaders

Current members

Source:[20]

Further reading

  • Green MN, Gawehns F. From Congress to the States: Explaining the Emergence and Membership of Freedom Caucuses in State Legislatures. State Politics & Policy Quarterly. 2024;24(4):370-388. doi:10.1017/spq.2024.24

References

  1. 1 2 Drake, Kerry (November 29, 2022). "What the rise of Wyoming's Freedom Caucus means for liberty". WyoFile. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  2. ↑ Mullen, Maggie (November 4, 2024). "Freedom Caucus wins control of Wyoming House". WyoFile.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chen, David (December 26, 2024). "How the Freedom Caucus Rose to Power in Wyoming". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Graham, Andrew (December 2, 2020). "Conservatives form Freedom Caucus to challenge House GOP". WyoFile. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ Wolfson, Leo (February 22, 2023). "Wyoming Legislature Divides Along Conservative Battle Lines". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  6. ↑ Morton, Tom (April 17, 2024). "New voter law requires declaring party affiliation by May 15". Oil City News.
  7. ↑ Mullen, Maggie (February 13, 2024). "Tensions simmer after Wyoming Freedom Caucus kills committee bills to start session". WyoFile. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  8. ↑ Wolfson, Leo (August 21, 2024). "Wyoming Freedom Caucus Has Huge Republican Primary, Could Gain 11 Seats". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Wolfson, Leo (January 7, 2025). "Freedom Caucus Vows To Unify What's Been A Deeply Divided Wyoming Legislature". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Wyoming Freedom Caucus-stacked committee slashes $235 million from budget". Oil City News. January 30, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  11. ↑ Wolfson, Leo (July 29, 2024). "Gordon's PAC Hits High Gear With Endorsements, Money For Freedom Caucus Opponents". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  12. ↑ Hall, Jasmine (August 14, 2025). "As Freedom Caucus targets Jackson Hole housing policy, Gordon backs community solutions". News Letter Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ Eccles, Robert (November 22, 2023). "Climate Change In Wyoming: The Sanity Of Governor Mark Gordon And The Inanity Of The Wyoming Freedom Caucus". Forbes. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  14. ↑ Randall, Doug (March 4, 2025). "Wyoming Freedom Caucus Blasts Gordon For Monday Vetoes". KGAB. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  15. ↑ Mullen, Maggie (May 28, 2024). "Gordon slams Wyoming Freedom Caucus for coal-policy misinformation". Gillette News Record. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  16. ↑ "In stunning upset, Wyoming Freedom Caucus loses most of its House seats, backslides in Senate". WyoFile. August 20, 2026.
  17. 1 2 McFarland, Clair (August 19, 2026). "The Great Wyoming Freedom Caucus Massacre — By The Numbers". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  18. ↑ Chen, David W. (August 19, 2026). "In Wyoming's G.O.P. Primaries, an Emphatic Rebuke of the Hard Right". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
  19. ↑ Gruver, Mead; Lieb, David (January 14, 2025). "The Freedom Caucus takes control of the Wyoming House, marking its first chance to lead". Associated Press. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Members". Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
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