Republican Party primaries in Wyoming, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| Republican Party primaries, 2018 |
 |
| Primary Date |
| August 21, 2018 |
| Federal elections |
| Republican primary for U.S. Senate |
| Republican primaries for U.S. House |
| State elections |
| Republican primaries for Wyoming legislature |
| Republican primary for governor |
| Republican primary for secretary of state |
| State party |
| Republican Party of Wyoming |
| State political party revenue |
Wyoming held primaries on August 21, 2018. Ballotpedia identified the Republican gubernatorial primary as a race to watch. State Treasurer Mark Gordon defeated longtime GOP donor Foster Friess and four other candidates in a race punctuated by heavy self-funding and ad spending. Learn more below.
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[1][2]
Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[3] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[4][5][6] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[7] This page focuses on the Republican primaries that took place in Wyoming on August 21, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
U.S. House
State elections
Wyoming Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Gubernatorial election
The Republican gubernatorial primary was identified by Ballotpedia as a battleground race.
State Treasurer Mark Gordon defeated five candidates in the Republican primary. Gordon received 33.4 percent of the vote. Foster Friess was second with 25.6 percent.
Six Republican candidates ran for a chance to replace term-limited Gov. Matt Mead (R) in what turned out to be an expensive race.
Multimillionaire Republican donor Foster Friess entered the race in April, saying he would spend "whatever it takes."[8] Finance reports through August 7 showed him with the most contributions at $2.5 million, $2.2 million of which he donated to his campaign.[9] He said in his candidacy announcement that he would use his contacts to bring companies to the state. President Donald Trump endorsed Friess on the day of the primary.[10][11]
Wyoming State Treasurer Mark Gordon was the only Republican primary candidate who had served in elected office. His campaign messaging focused on his time as treasurer; he stated that he "grew state investments by $1.17 billion over the 2016-2017 fiscal year."[12] He was second in fundraising with $2.1 million raised.[9]
The other four candidates in the race were attorney Harriet Hageman, former surgeon Taylor Haynes, and businessman Bill Dahlin.
Secretary of state election
State party overview
- See also: Republican Party of Wyoming
State political party revenue
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Wyoming was one of two states to hold a primary election on August 21, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Wyoming utilizes a closed primary process.[13][14]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Wyoming, all polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[15]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter information here.
To vote in Wyoming, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Wyoming, at least 18 years of age, not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court, and not convicted of a felony unless pardoned or otherwise had their rights restored.[16][17]
The registration deadline is 14 days before the election, but voters may also register and vote on the same day during the absentee voting period or on election day. There are three ways to register to vote in Wyoming: in person at the office of the county or town clerk, by mail the by submitting a completed application form to the county clerk, or at the polls on Election Day. A voter must provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.[16][14]
Automatic registration
Wyoming does not practice automatic voter registration.[18]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Wyoming does not permit online voter registration.[18]
Same-day registration
Wyoming allows same-day voter registration.[14]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Wyoming, a voter must be a resident of a precinct in the state for not less than 30 days before the election.[14][19]
Verification of citizenship
Wyoming requires voters to provide proof of citizenship. Eligible documents are state and tribal IDs that do not indicate the individual is not a U.S. citizen, passports, certificates of citizenship or naturalization, a selective service registration acknowledgement card, documentation of a birth abroad issued by the State Department, or an original or certified copy of a birth certificate.[14][17]
Voter ID requirements
Wyoming requires voters to present identification when voting. Generally, voters are required to present a photo ID, but there are two exceptions to that requirement that expire in 2029.[14][20]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Wyoming Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ |
*Medicare and Medicaid insurance cards will no longer be an acceptable form of identification for voting purposes after December 31st, 2029.[21] |
” |
Voters without ID can obtain a free Wyoming identification card from their local Driver Services office.[22]
Early voting
Wyoming permits early voting. Learn more by contacting the appropriate county clerk.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Wyoming. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[23]
No specific deadline is noted for absentee ballot applications. A completed absentee ballot must be received by election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[23]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Wyoming. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wyoming with 68.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 21.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wyoming cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wyoming supported Republican candidates more often than Democratic candidates, 76.7 to 23.3 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Wyoming. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[24][25]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won five out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 13.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won three out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 24.1 points. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 55 out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 45 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 57 out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 51 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 11.24% | 85.71% | R+74.5 | 7.27% | 88.99% | R+81.7 | R |
| 2 | 17.60% | 79.70% | R+62.1 | 10.91% | 83.36% | R+72.4 | R |
| 3 | 11.12% | 87.05% | R+75.9 | 6.49% | 89.45% | R+83 | R |
| 4 | 26.05% | 70.84% | R+44.8 | 15.61% | 77.84% | R+62.2 | R |
| 5 | 26.26% | 71.59% | R+45.3 | 16.74% | 76.88% | R+60.1 | R |
| 6 | 16.26% | 81.21% | R+65 | 9.43% | 85.01% | R+75.6 | R |
| 7 | 28.36% | 70.01% | R+41.7 | 24.27% | 68.70% | R+44.4 | R |
| 8 | 40.42% | 57.13% | R+16.7 | 37.19% | 54.48% | R+17.3 | R |
| 9 | 38.23% | 59.50% | R+21.3 | 31.57% | 58.11% | R+26.5 | R |
| 10 | 21.27% | 76.44% | R+55.2 | 14.79% | 78.21% | R+63.4 | R |
| 11 | 43.72% | 52.36% | R+8.6 | 34.85% | 55.04% | R+20.2 | R |
| 12 | 41.35% | 55.47% | R+14.1 | 27.83% | 62.31% | R+34.5 | R |
| 13 | 52.91% | 41.43% | D+11.5 | 49.03% | 37.02% | D+12 | D |
| 14 | 41.85% | 53.44% | R+11.6 | 40.33% | 48.15% | R+7.8 | R |
| 15 | 41.25% | 56.03% | R+14.8 | 25.40% | 64.63% | R+39.2 | R |
| 16 | 62.92% | 34.31% | D+28.6 | 66.35% | 25.25% | D+41.1 | D |
| 17 | 33.59% | 62.81% | R+29.2 | 21.53% | 70.03% | R+48.5 | D |
| 18 | 19.74% | 77.99% | R+58.3 | 13.08% | 80.74% | R+67.7 | R |
| 19 | 16.63% | 80.47% | R+63.8 | 11.41% | 80.74% | R+69.3 | R |
| 20 | 17.23% | 80.53% | R+63.3 | 14.51% | 79.68% | R+65.2 | R |
| 21 | 6.92% | 92.19% | R+85.3 | 7.49% | 86.40% | R+78.9 | R |
| 22 | 35.46% | 62.06% | R+26.6 | 35.90% | 57.66% | R+21.8 | R |
| 23 | 48.80% | 48.93% | R+0.1 | 55.89% | 36.72% | D+19.2 | D |
| 24 | 22.73% | 75.27% | R+52.5 | 19.89% | 73.40% | R+53.5 | R |
| 25 | 22.09% | 75.00% | R+52.9 | 18.81% | 73.50% | R+54.7 | R |
| 26 | 16.97% | 80.82% | R+63.9 | 12.21% | 79.51% | R+67.3 | R |
| 27 | 19.91% | 77.45% | R+57.5 | 14.13% | 78.83% | R+64.7 | R |
| 28 | 18.23% | 78.86% | R+60.6 | 13.32% | 79.44% | R+66.1 | R |
| 29 | 28.95% | 68.57% | R+39.6 | 22.80% | 67.97% | R+45.2 | R |
| 30 | 24.51% | 72.88% | R+48.4 | 19.19% | 74.01% | R+54.8 | R |
| 31 | 12.18% | 85.70% | R+73.5 | 6.28% | 88.41% | R+82.1 | R |
| 32 | 14.58% | 83.77% | R+69.2 | 9.87% | 85.48% | R+75.6 | R |
| 33 | 56.07% | 42.24% | D+13.8 | 43.88% | 48.71% | R+4.8 | R |
| 34 | 16.37% | 81.33% | R+65 | 11.82% | 83.41% | R+71.6 | R |
| 35 | 22.53% | 75.07% | R+52.5 | 17.84% | 76.07% | R+58.2 | R |
| 36 | 31.86% | 64.88% | R+33 | 22.04% | 70.04% | R+48 | D |
| 37 | 25.70% | 72.32% | R+46.6 | 20.84% | 72.35% | R+51.5 | R |
| 38 | 22.15% | 75.32% | R+53.2 | 15.08% | 78.87% | R+63.8 | R |
| 39 | 28.42% | 67.88% | R+39.5 | 19.31% | 72.59% | R+53.3 | D |
| 40 | 17.50% | 79.96% | R+62.5 | 14.40% | 80.28% | R+65.9 | R |
| 41 | 41.35% | 55.66% | R+14.3 | 32.58% | 57.38% | R+24.8 | R |
| 42 | 30.25% | 67.49% | R+37.2 | 26.26% | 65.94% | R+39.7 | R |
| 43 | 38.57% | 58.11% | R+19.5 | 28.50% | 61.55% | R+33.1 | R |
| 44 | 51.90% | 44.70% | D+7.2 | 41.02% | 48.67% | R+7.7 | D |
| 45 | 51.24% | 43.62% | D+7.6 | 43.54% | 43.68% | R+0.1 | D |
| 46 | 41.79% | 54.50% | R+12.7 | 37.67% | 52.51% | R+14.8 | R |
| 47 | 21.31% | 75.47% | R+54.2 | 13.82% | 80.13% | R+66.3 | R |
| 48 | 30.34% | 66.16% | R+35.8 | 21.53% | 71.35% | R+49.8 | R |
| 49 | 22.81% | 74.97% | R+52.2 | 18.99% | 71.40% | R+52.4 | R |
| 50 | 16.74% | 81.25% | R+64.5 | 14.54% | 79.22% | R+64.7 | R |
| 51 | 24.13% | 73.76% | R+49.6 | 20.67% | 73.60% | R+52.9 | R |
| 52 | 10.61% | 87.04% | R+76.4 | 5.97% | 89.88% | R+83.9 | R |
| 53 | 16.85% | 80.53% | R+63.7 | 10.18% | 84.03% | R+73.8 | R |
| 54 | 36.87% | 60.26% | R+23.4 | 33.60% | 57.34% | R+23.7 | R |
| 55 | 24.77% | 72.52% | R+47.8 | 18.63% | 74.01% | R+55.4 | R |
| 56 | 34.31% | 61.96% | R+27.6 | 26.93% | 64.03% | R+37.1 | R |
| 57 | 32.45% | 63.83% | R+31.4 | 24.54% | 66.50% | R+42 | R |
| 58 | 23.70% | 73.45% | R+49.8 | 13.62% | 79.63% | R+66 | R |
| 59 | 33.92% | 61.68% | R+27.8 | 21.68% | 69.96% | R+48.3 | R |
| 60 | 30.10% | 66.75% | R+36.6 | 21.45% | 69.85% | R+48.4 | D |
| Total | 28.05% | 69.21% | R+41.2 | 22.48% | 70.06% | R+47.6 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Federal primaries in Wyoming | State primaries in Wyoming | Wyoming state party apparatus | Wyoming voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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Footnotes
- ↑ ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
- ↑ Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
- ↑ Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
- ↑ Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
- ↑ USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
- ↑ Wyoming Tribune Eagle, "Wyoming governor candidate Friess will spend “whatever it takes” to win," May 10, 2018
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Search Filed Reports," accessed August 15, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "GOP megadonor Friess announces run for Wyoming governor," April 20, 2018
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtrump - ↑ Mark Gordon 2018 campaign website, "Meet Mark," accessed June 27, 2018
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Welcome to the FAQs," accessed June 2, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "faq" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "faq" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "faq" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Election Frequently Asked Questions, General Voting information," accessed May 30, 2025
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed May 30, 2025
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Wyoming Legislature, "Legislation 2025, HB0156 - Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications." accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed May 30, 2025
- ↑ Wyoming Legislature, "Legislation 2025, HB0156 - Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications." accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ Wyoming Legislature, "HB0075 - Voter identification," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Wyoming's Voter ID Law," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed June 2, 2025
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
