Last Tuesday, Elizabeth Cheney (R-WY) was defeated in the primaries by Trump-endorsed candidate Harriet Hageman (R).
Cheney’s loss doesn’t come as a surprise, as she is not endeared by many Republicans nationwide. She is not a fan of former President Donald J. Trump. She voted to impeach Trump. And She is the leading Republican against the former president, serving as the vice chairwoman of the committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.
Just about 70% of Wyoming voted for Trump in 2020. Cheney’s constant expression of detest for him cost her this primary election.
Harriet Hageman is a Wyoming native who completed her undergraduate education and obtained her law degree from the University of Wyoming. She is currently an attorney in Cheyenne and specializes in natural resources and water litigation.
Her father, Jim Hageman, was a Wyoming representative for over 20 years. Hageman got into the political realm back in 2018 when she unsuccessfully ran for governor.
In a statement, Hageman said she decided to run against Cheney because she “betrayed Wyoming, betrayed the country and she betrayed me.”
Many political candidates have flip-flopped back and forth from criticising to supporting Trump– Hageman is just one of many. Back in 2016, she criticized him, calling him a “racist and xenophobic,” which did not please Wyoming residents.
Hageman earned back Trump’s trust when she voted against his impeachment.
“The recent defeat of Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a signal from the voters that representatives can and will be held accountable to the people and party they represent,” said DawnMarie Kuhn, President of Right View Strategies. “Representatives across the country have been put on notice that if they take a stance that is radically different from that of the republican voters; they can be primaried and ousted.”
What’s next for Cheney after this primary loss?
President Biden needs to appoint someone to his cabinet, and the likelihood of him appointing Cheney is very high. The nation is in a political divide, and bringing in a Republican, who tends to oppose the notion of a true Republican, would diminish the current climate in the aftermath of the FBI’s search of Mar-aLago.
