Incumbent Wyoming senator prevails
Barrasso faced five foes in tough GOP primary
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — U.S. Sen. John Barrasso on Tuesday fended off a well-funded challenger in Wyoming’s Republican primary.
He beat five opponents, including investor and Stanford University lecturer Dave Dodson of Jackson Hole. Dodson put $1 million of his own money toward a campaign that questioned Barrasso’s ties to corporate interests and Washington political insiders.
Barrasso faces Wilson businessman Gary Trauner in the general election. Trauner ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Incumbent Liz Cheney won the Republican nomination for Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House.
Cheney beat two other Republicans in Tuesday’s primary, Blake Stanley of Cheyenne and Rod Miller of Buford. Stanley and Miller both characterized themselves as blue-collar conservatives and ran low-key campaigns.
Cheney now seeks a second term against either of two candidates competing for the Democratic nomination, Laramie businessman Greg Hunter and Laramie attorney Travis Helm.
In the gubernatorial race, former Wyoming state Rep. Mary Throne won the Democratic primary to replace outgoing incumbent Matt Mead. Throne beat three little-known candidates to secure her party’s nomination.
She now faces a tough fight in heavily Republican Wyoming to become the state’s first Democratic governor since 2011. The race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination was too close to call in early returns among six Republican candidates.
It’s Wyoming’s most contested governor’s race since 2010, when Mead beat six others in the Republican primary. Two finished within 3 points but Mead went on to easily win election and re-election.
The outcome of this year’s primary could be similar. The largest share of votes could go to any of at least four candidates, including investor and philanthropist Foster Friess, state Treasurer Mark Gordon, attorney Harriet Hageman and businessman Sam Galeotos.
Friess won a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, in Alaska, turnout was light in early voting in the state primary Tuesday.
Alaskans were choosing a Republican nominee to advance to what is expected to be a hard-fought battle for governor this fall. They’ll also choose the latest contender to try to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young, the longest-serving member of the U.S. House.
Former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy and former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell are the highest-profile candidates seeking the GOP nod for governor.
Gov. Bill Walker, an independent, skipped Tuesday’s primaries, while former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich advanced in the Democratic primary. Libertarian William “Billy” Toien also is running.
In the Democratic U.S. House primary, independent Alyse Galvin and Democrat Dimitri Shein are among those vying for a shot to challenge Young, 85, who has served in the House for 45 years and is expected to win his primary.