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Fresh off capturing control of the Wyoming House of Representatives in 2024, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is now targeting the state Senate, with several of its members leaving their House seats to challenge incumbents and claim open positions across the chamber.
Why It Matters
A Freedom Caucus majority in the Wyoming Senate would give the group effective control of both legislative chambers, removing a significant check on its policy agenda. The caucus has identified property tax legislation and school choice as priorities where it argues Senate resistance has cost conservatives results in recent sessions. As caucus chair Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams put it, “Regardless of where our priorities failed, it’s clear that we need reinforcements in Cheyenne.”
Rodriguez-Williams herself is not running for the Senate — she is seeking the secretary of state position — but she and other caucus figures are clearly orchestrating a coordinated push to reshape the upper chamber’s composition.
The Math
With 17 of the Senate’s 31 districts on the ballot this cycle, the caucus must win at least 14 of those contests to reach a majority. That is a steep climb: at least five incumbent senators who are not up for reelection in 2026 are considered neither caucus members nor caucus allies, meaning the group cannot bank on widespread existing support inside the chamber.
Two senators the caucus backed in 2024 — Tim French of Cody and Laura Pearson of Kemmerer — are not among those on the ballot this year, leaving the caucus to build its presence largely through new candidates.
Key Races to Watch
The highest-profile contest may be in Senate District 1, where House Speaker Chip Neiman of Hulett — a prominent Freedom Caucus figure — is challenging incumbent Sen. Ogden Driskill of Devils Tower. The district covers all of Crook County along with portions of Campbell and Weston counties. Neiman’s decision to leave the speakership and pursue a Senate seat signals how seriously the caucus is treating this expansion effort.
In Senate District 19, which spans Big Horn and Park counties, first-term Rep. Paul Hoeft of Powell — a caucus member — is competing against R.J. Kost, a former senator, for a seat being vacated by Sen. Dan Laursen of Powell, who is not seeking reelection.
Rep. Ken Pendergraft of Sheridan, also a caucus member, is running for the open Senate District 21 seat against Melissa Butcher, a local business owner.
In Laramie County, Rep. Daniel Singh of Cheyenne is challenging incumbent Sen. Evie Brennan for a seat in Senate District covering part of Wyoming’s most populous county — a race that could test the caucus’s reach in more urban territory.
Rep. Abby Angelos of Gillette is also in a Senate primary, facing off against Dwayne Dillinger — who serves as the Campbell County Parks and Recreation executive director — in Senate District 23. Redistricting and eligibility questions have already reshaped several Wyoming legislative contests this cycle, adding further complexity to the map.
Checkgate Controversy Looms
The caucus enters the 2026 cycle carrying some political baggage from a controversy known informally as “Checkgate,” which involved campaign donations allegedly delivered on the House floor. The incident is currently under criminal investigation, though a legislative committee concluded the checks did not constitute bribery. The full House voted unanimously to adopt a report describing the conduct on the floor as “undesirable.”
Whether the controversy dampens voter enthusiasm for caucus candidates in competitive primaries remains an open question heading into the August contests.
What’s Next
With candidate filing now closed, Wyoming primary voters will make the deciding call on the caucus’s Senate ambitions. Seven candidates have already entered the Wyoming U.S. Senate race with an August 18 primary, meaning down-ballot legislative races will compete for voter attention on the same day. If the Freedom Caucus can convert enough of its House organizational strength into Senate wins, it could enter the 2027 session with unified control of Wyoming’s legislature.
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