Wyoming GOP endorses slate but cannot spend party money to favor candidates in primary

The Wyoming Republican Party has endorsed candidates in six major 2026 races, but Chairman Bryan Miller says the party will not use its own money to promote those candidates over other Republicans before the Aug. 18 primary.

The distinction matters as early and absentee voting continue and campaigns approach Wyoming’s next campaign-finance reporting deadline on Aug. 11. Voters may see endorsement messages from outside political committees even though the party itself says state law prevents it from buying candidate-specific advertising, mailers or similar support.

Six candidates received the party’s endorsement

The party announced its endorsements July 21-22 after its state central committee reviewed candidate records, platform alignment and conservative principles, according to reporting by Wyoming Public Media, which republished WyoFile’s report.

Harriet Hageman for U.S. Senate
Chuck Gray for U.S. House
Brent Bien for governor
Rachel Williams for secretary of state
Scott Smith for treasurer
Tom Kelly for superintendent of public instruction

The endorsements do not determine the nominees. Wyoming’s Republican primary is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 18, according to the Wyoming Secretary of State.

What Wyoming law restricts

W.S. 22-25-104 states: “No political party funds shall be expended directly or indirectly in the aid of the nomination of any one person as against another person of the same political party running in the primary election.”

Miller told WyoFile that the provision prevents the party from using party funds to broadly distribute a preference through candidate-specific advertisements, printed guides or similar paid communications favoring one Republican over another. The law’s wording addresses party spending; it does not expressly prohibit the party from evaluating or publicly endorsing candidates.

That means an endorsement can be announced publicly without the Wyoming GOP paying for a candidate-specific campaign to reach voters. Voters should distinguish between a statement issued by the party and a paid message funded by a separate committee.

Party is challenging the restriction in court

The Wyoming GOP filed a federal constitutional challenge in June. In the lawsuit, the party says it wants to contribute money to a selected Republican candidate in competitive primaries and publish or distribute voter guides ranking and expressly endorsing candidates based on their alignment with the party platform.

The lawsuit remains pending. It is not a ruling that the statute is unconstitutional, and the party’s arguments remain separate from the position of state officials or other parties in the case.

Outside committee sends endorsement texts

Wyoming Public Media’s report said a separately funded super PAC solely funded by Chuck Gray’s father began sending text messages promoting the party’s endorsements after the slate was announced.

That activity should not be confused with spending by the Wyoming Republican Party. The report does not establish that the committee is controlled by the party or coordinated with candidates. Its spending and financial activity are subject to applicable disclosure requirements for political committees and independent expenditures.

The practical result for voters is that an endorsement may still appear in text messages, mail, digital advertising or other communications even when the party itself does not pay for those messages.

What voters can check before Aug. 18

The next pre-primary campaign-finance reports are due Aug. 11, seven days before the primary. That is a disclosure deadline, not a complete accounting of all spending through Election Day. Wyoming law requires later reporting of contributions and expenditures made after the pre-election statement through the election.

Voters can review required filings through the state’s official Campaign Finance Information System. The system and the Secretary of State’s election page provide the official sources for reviewing party, political-action-committee and campaign disclosures and confirming the Aug. 18 primary date.

For residents deciding how much weight to give the Wyoming GOP’s endorsements, the key question is not only which candidates received the party’s backing. It is also who paid to communicate that backing, whether the message came from the party or an outside committee, and what the campaign-finance filings show before the primary.

Sources

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