Liz’s uphill Wyo. battle

Polling at just 26%

Rep. Liz Cheney formally announced her bid for reelection Thursday, the same day as the publication of a new poll that shows her 30 points behind her main Republican primary challenger.

The survey conducted this week by Club for Growth reported that 56% of Wyoming Republicans would vote for attorney Harriet Hageman (lower inset) while just

26% would back Cheney (upper).

The Club for Growth, which has endorsed Hageman, also found

12% plan to back state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, while 6% are undecided.

Despite the grim numbers for Cheney, the poll actually shows a small improvement from this time last year, when a similar Club for Growth survey found just 14% of voters would support Cheney. That poll also found that 52% of Wyoming Republicans planned to vote her out no matter what.

In January, a straw poll conducted by the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee recorded 59 votes for Hageman and just 6 for Cheney.

Cheney’s break with her home state GOP has largely stemmed from her repeated criticism of former President Donald Trump over last year’s Capitol riot.

In May 2021, House Republicans ousted Cheney from her role as conference chair — the No. 3 position behind minority leader and minority whip — in favor of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

Six months later, Wyoming’s GOP voted to no longer recognize Cheney as a member. The state party in February voted to censure Cheney over her vote to impeach Trump.

Trump has blasted Cheney as a “RINO” (Republican in name only), and “strongly” endorsed Hageman in September. He is set to headline a rally in Casper, Wyo., for Hageman on Saturday.

Despite low polling numbers, the cold shoulder from

her GOP colleagues and Trump’s ire, Cheney said Thursday she would press on with her bid.

“When I know something is wrong, I will say so. I won’t waver or back down. I won’t surrender to pressure or intimidation,” she said in a video announcing her bid for reelection.