Barrasso wins Senate primary

CHEYENNE» U.S. Sen. John Barrasso on Tuesday fended off a wellfunded 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 spent much of primary day attending to business in Washington, D.C., and after thunderstorms delayed his flights, he landed in Casper well after polls closed.

“I’ve always been in Wyoming for primary day, but we canceled the August recess. We’re working on (nominee Brett) Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. We’re working on lots of things,” Barrasso said.

As for beating Dodson, Barrasso said he works every day thinking about how to make life better for Wyoming residents, and “I think that the voters saw that.”

Dodson didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

Barrasso will face Wilson businessman Gary Trauner in the general election. Trauner ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

In the gubernatorial race, former Wyoming state Rep. Mary Throne won the Democratic primary to replace outgoing incumbent Matt Mead. Throne beat three littleknown candidates to secure her party’s nomination.

Wyoming state Treasurer Mark Gordon won a fiercely contested GOP primary for governor. He beat five opponents, including GOP megadonor Foster Friess and Cheyenne businessman Sam Galeotos.

Mead is termlimited after serving two full terms.

Wyoming is among the reddest states, and Gordon is favored to win the general election and become governor.

Gordon is finishing his first full term as treasurer, a job to which he was appointed in 2012.

Throne would be the state’s first Democratic governor since 2011.

This is Wyoming’s most contested governor’s race since 2010, when Mead beat six others in the Republican primary. Two finished within three percentage points, but Mead went on to easily win election and reelection, beating Democrats who stood little chance in deepred Wyoming.

In the Senate race, Barrasso won with help from an endorsement by President Donald Trump.

Incumbent Liz Cheney won the Republican nomination for Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House.

Cheney beat two other Republicans, Blake Stanley of Cheyenne and Rod Miller of Buford. Stanley and Miller both characterized themselves as bluecollar conservatives and ran lowkey campaigns.

Cheney now seeks a second term against either of two candidates competing for the Democratic nomination.