Sen. John Barrasso John Anthony BarrassoBipartisan infrastructure talks on life support This week: Senate set for chaotic sprint before break Sunday shows preview: US hails Israel-Hamas cease-fire; 'vast differences' remain between Biden, GOP on infrastructure MORE (R-Wyo.) held back a challenge from political newcomer Dave Dodson in the state’s Republican Senate primary on Tuesday, putting himself on the path to a third term in office. With 21 percent of precincts reporting, The Associated Press called the race for Barrasso, who carried about 65 percent of the vote. Barrasso, who chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee, is among the most popular U.S. senators, according to a Morning Consult survey released in January. That survey puts him in the No. 5 spot with 61 percent approval. ADVERTISEMENT But he faced a significant challenge from Dodson, a Jackson Hole investor and first-time candidate who pumped more than $1 million of his personal funds into the campaign. Dodson campaigned on a promise to work to bring down the cost of health care in the state, while Barrasso has been among the most vocal Republican advocates of repealing the Affordable Care Act. But Barrasso, who has served in the Senate since 2007, secured the endorsement of President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE — a blessing that likely carried significant weight in the state that gave the real estate mogul his largest margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election. Barrasso will face businessman Gary Trauner, who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in November. The Cook Political Report rates the Wyoming Senate race as “solid Republican.”<doc-sep>On the Democratic side, presumptive nominee Gary Trauner faces an uphill battle – the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Wyoming’s Senate seat as a “Solid R” – but Democratic turnout in this race could serve as an important indicator to the vitality of the party within one of the most conservative states in the country. The spread should be interesting: The last time Barrasso ran against a Democrat was in 2012, a year Democratic President Barack Obama finished with 28 percent of the vote in Wyoming. The Senate challenger, Tim Chestnut, took home less than 22 percent of the vote. Will It Be Helm Or Hunter? Facing two challengers within her own party, incumbent Congresswoman Liz Cheney is expected to coast on her way to a second bid in the U.S. House of Representatives. With just one seat up for grabs in a state that, by registration, is considered by the Cook Political Report to be the 17th-most Republican district nationally, Cheney is anticipated to win an easy victory against whoever emerges from the Democratic primary between Travis Helm and Greg Hunter. Political forecaster FiveThirtyEight gives Democrats just a 1 percent chance of defeating Cheney. And even when Cheney was a newcomer in 2016, her opponent still only received 30 percent of the vote. Who Will Actually Show Up?<doc-sep>In a highly contested Republican primary race for governor of Wyoming, Democratic voters could make a difference. Heading into Tuesday's election, state treasurer Mark Gordon and multimillionaire GOP donor Foster Friess are, according to the polls, in a dead heat for the gubernatorial nomination. The race is so close that some in Wyoming have urged Democrats to take a one-day elephant ride and cast their ballots for Gordon. A group called Switch for Wyoming has has taken on the battle, urging Democrats to switch their party affiliation to help get Gordon on the November ballot. "Wyoming's legislature has been on a long march to the extreme right, but we have history electing moderate governors, thoughtful people who, even though we disagree with them often, act as a check on extreme legislation and bad decisions," the group's website reads. The group also urged voters to not "allow a small number of extremists to pick our next governor" and called Gordon the only "moderate" politician on the ballot. Gordon is the state's treasurer and became well known for increasing Wyoming's financial portfolio by $5 billion in five years. But Friess, a political newcomer with no experience as an elected official, has the backing of Donald Trump Jr. and millions of dollars in his campaign war chest. Trump Jr. wrote an editorial praising Friess for his support of President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, stating Friess was a key donor. He also admired Friess for his stance on the Second Amendment. The endorsement is likely to go a long way in a state in which Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 46 percent. It's possible, however, for Democrats to still make a difference in the highly contested race, because Wyoming is one of 17 states that allow people to register, change their party affiliation and vote on the same day. So Democratic voters could walk into a polling center on Tuesday and change their party affiliation to Republican and vote in the GOP primary, and just as easily switch back to Democrat before the general election in November. But there's a downside to the practice: They would not have a say in who the Democratic candidate would be in November. But those who endorse the strategy point out that Democratic candidates are already longshots in a Wyoming general election, as Wyoming has long been a Republican stronghold. The Equality State has voted Democratic in presidential elections only once since1952. In 2016, Democrats made up only 20 percent of the state's registered voters, according to data gathered by the Wyoming secretary of state. Republican voters outnumber Democrats in all 23 of Wyoming's voting precincts. Moderate voters could also do the same in the state's Republican Senate race. Gary Trauner is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket. While Wyoming hasn't had a Democrat in Congress since 1978, Trauner came within half a percentage point of beating Republican Representative Barbara Cubin for the seat in 2006. If enough Democrats vote Republican on Tuesday, they could take on Senator John Barrasso and sink his re-election bid. Barrasso is also a Trump favorite and received an endorsement from the president last month. . @SenJohnBarrasso has a Primary on August 21st. He doesn’t need any help because he is absolutely outstanding in every way, but I hope the great people of Wyoming will go out and show their support anyway. John is absolutely top of the line & has my Complete & Total Endorsement! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018 It wouldn't be the first time Democratic voters had tipped the scales by participating in Republican elections. In 2011, Idaho's Republican Party sued to close its primaries to voters who weren't registered Republicans, citing a study that said as many as 40 percent of Democrats admitted to crossover voting. The judge presiding over the case later estimated that it was likely a much smaller percentage but still ruled in favor of the GOP and closed the primaries to party-affiliated voters only.<doc-sep>Tuesday is expected to be a much quieter Primary Day than most, with only two states voting and no clearly competitive races in either one. If you’re missing your weekly dose of election excitement, it’ll be back next Tuesday, when voters will go to the polls in crucial races in Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma. But in the meantime, here’s what to watch tonight. In Alaska, an independent governor runs for re-election Gov. Bill Walker, the only independent currently leading a state, is running for re-election. The Democratic primary is uncontested, with only former Senator Mark Begich running. On the Republican side, the field is crowded, with seven candidates, but State Senator Mike Dunleavy and former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell are considered the front-runners. A poll released in February found that Mr. Walker was the least popular governor seeking re-election this year. A three-way race in November could split the left-leaning vote and allow Republicans to take the governorship.<doc-sep>
Businessman Foster Friess’ defeat capped a day of political misfortune for President Donald Trump. | Keith Srakocic/AP Photo Trump-backed Friess loses Wyoming governor's primary Wyoming state Treasurer Mark Gordon won the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday, defeating Trump-backed businessman and political donor Foster Friess. President Donald Trump waded into the race late, tweeting in support of Friess early on Election Day. Friess’ defeat capped a day of political misfortune for Trump, who was implicated in a conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws by former attorney Michael Cohen and saw former campaign chairman Paul Manafort convicted of fraud before Gordon snapped the president’s recent streak of picking winners in Republican governor’s primaries around the country. Gordon had 32 percent of the Republican primary vote to Friess’ 26 percent when the Associated Press called the primary with 91 percent of precincts reporting. Current Republican Gov. Matt Mead is term-limited. Gordon will face Democratic state Rep. Mary Throne in the general election. Gordon was the early frontrunner in the race to succeed Mead, but Friess’ personal wealth and national political connections made him a contender in the crowded primary. Former Sen. Rick Santorum — who benefitted from a Friess-funded super PAC in the 2012 presidential race — backed the megadonor, as did Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and several prominent national conservative groups. But Friess’ late arrival to state politics meant he had to build up his campaign from scratch, while Gordon could lean on recognition won in his 2014 campaign for a full term as treasurer, as well as a previous unsuccessful run for Congress. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. John Barrasso easily dispatched a self-funding primary challenger, winning renomination for a second full term. Barrasso had 65 percent of the vote to businessman Dave Dodson's 29 percent when the Associated Press called the primary with just over one-fifth of precincts reporting. Dodson fueled his outsider campaign with over $1 million of his own money and attacked Barrasso for accepting contributions from PACs in Washington. But Barrasso hit back, publicizing Dodson's past donations to Democrats and votes in Democratic Party primaries. Barrasso will face Democrat Gary Trauner in the general election. In Alaska, former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy locked up the Republican gubernatorial nomination with 62 percent of the vote, outstripping a handful of other GOP candidates including former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell. Former Sen. Mark Begich won the Democratic primary unopposed, setting up a three-way general election with Gov. Bill Walker, an independent.