Republican who kicked Liz Cheney out of Congress seeks higher office in reddest state
Wyoming Republicans have selected Rep. Harriet Hageman as their nominee for the state's open U.S. Senate seat, positioning her to run in one of America's most reliably Republican states. Hageman, who is backed by Donald Trump, previously gained national attention for defeating incumbent Liz Cheney in a 2022 primary after Cheney's break with Trump over the 6 January Capitol riot, effectively ending Cheney's congressional career.
Hageman won a five-way Republican primary that also included former Kirby mayor Sam Mead, Jill Edwards and John Holtz, among others. She is seeking to succeed Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, who was elected in 2020 after four terms in the House and has announced she will not seek re-election, leaving the seat open in the November race.
- Harriet Hageman wins Wyoming's Republican Senate primary.
- She previously ousted Liz Cheney from Congress in 2022.
- She seeks to succeed retiring Senator Cynthia Lummis.
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Wyoming is a sparsely populated state in the western United States, where Republican candidates have won most statewide elections for decades. A US senator represents the state in Congress, the country’s national legislature, and serves a six-year term.
Harriet Hageman is a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, the other chamber of Congress. She came to national attention in 2022 when she defeated fellow Republican Liz Cheney in a party primary; Cheney had criticised Donald Trump over his role in the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
The Senate seat is open because Republican Cynthia Lummis is not seeking another term. The November election will decide who represents Wyoming in the Senate, where members vote on national laws and confirm senior government appointments.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of Hageman's nomination would argue that the primary result reflects genuine voter preferences in a reliably conservative state. Liz Cheney took positions, particularly on January 6, that diverged significantly from the views held by most Wyoming Republicans, and her defeat represents voters choosing a candidate more aligned with their values. In a democratic primary, this is how the process should function: candidates compete, and voters select the one they prefer.
The case against
Critics would argue that Cheney's defeat reflects a concerning trend in which Republicans who dissent on fundamental issues face primary challenges from candidates aligned with Trump. Cheney's principled stance on the Capitol riot was legitimate, and her loss signals a party increasingly unwilling to accommodate dissenting views within its ranks. Such narrowing of ideological diversity weakens institutions: it discourages independent judgment, suppresses necessary internal debate, and risks limiting the party's future electoral appeal.