Why It Matters
The dispute over Wyoming’s electoral boundaries has implications for Native American communities along the Wind River Indian Reservation, the state’s ongoing redistricting preparations for 2032, and the balance of authority between the secretary of state, the governor, and the legislature.
What Happened
Wyoming’s Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee met Friday in Lander and declined to take action on requests from Secretary of State Chuck Gray to immediately review electoral maps he believes conflict with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting race-based factors in drawing election districts.
Gray had argued in letters to both the Fremont County Commission and Gov. Mark Gordon that certain district boundaries overlapping with the Wind River Indian Reservation should be reconsidered in light of that ruling. His concerns focused specifically on the Fremont County Commission’s district maps and House District 33, the seat held by Rep. Ivan Posey, D-Fort Washakie, the legislature’s only Indigenous member.
Lawmakers on the committee were broadly unmoved. Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Cheyenne, captured the prevailing sentiment succinctly: “I think we’re better off to not poke the dog, the sleeping dog. And just let it go.”
Senate Corporations Committee Chairman Cale Case, R-Lander, who represents the Wind River Indian Reservation area, urged patience and public deliberation, noting that the state’s last redistricting effort took well over a year to complete. He said the committee retained options, including addressing any legal questions during the next formal redistricting cycle.
Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, said he had already reviewed the Supreme Court ruling and the existing maps and concluded they were in compliance. “I would suggest that we just put this topic to bed,” Yin said, adding that the committee had a full workload of other issues to address during the legislative off-season.
Background on the Maps
The Fremont County district system at issue traces back to a 2010 federal court decision in Large v. Fremont County, in which Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribal members successfully argued that an at-large commissioner system diluted Native American voting strength in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. The court ordered a shift to district-based representation.
Gray is now calling for a return to an at-large system, contending that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Louisiana v. Callais renders the district arrangement unconstitutional. The Fremont County Commission has referred Gray’s letter to the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office for guidance. Lawmakers at Friday’s meeting signaled they had little appetite for directing the county commission one way or the other. Fremont County officials have also expressed skepticism about the push to revisit their boundaries.
Business councils for both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes publicly condemned Gray’s effort, characterizing it as a targeted challenge to Native voting representation. Several attendees at the Lander meeting held up signs in opposition to Gray’s position. Doug Thompson, a former county commissioner who was a defendant in the original Large case, urged the committee to take time and avoid rushing toward either option.
By the Numbers
- 1 — the number of Indigenous members currently serving in the Wyoming Legislature, Rep. Ivan Posey
- 2010 — the year a federal court ordered Fremont County to adopt a district-based commissioner system
- 2032 — the next scheduled Wyoming legislative redistricting cycle
- 2030 — the year lawmakers are expected to begin drawing new maps based on updated census data
Zoom Out
Gray stopped short of requesting a special legislative session or a suspension of primary elections — actions taken by some GOP-led southern states following the Supreme Court’s ruling. His approach has drawn criticism from tribal leaders and now faces resistance from members of his own party in the legislature. Wyoming’s broader electoral politics have also drawn scrutiny recently amid questions about outside spending and super PAC activity in state races.
What’s Next
Rep. Nina Webber, R-Cody, requested the topic be revisited at the committee’s next meeting, though the panel otherwise set the matter aside without action. Meanwhile, the Legislative Service Office is continuing its work with federal agencies to update census block boundaries — the geographic foundation for future redistricting — ahead of the 2030 map-drawing process.
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