Two Republicans vying for the statehouse and Teton County Sheriff brought in large donations totaling $80,500 from the county party, while an independent candidate led fundraising in the county commission race.
Those races doubled spending on the next closest race for nonpartisan town council, and eclipsed the races for county coroner, assessor and nonpartisan boards.
The donations reported to the Wyoming Secretary of State raised eyebrows among Democrats in Wyoming’s only solidly blue-voting county. The local Republican Party defended its spending as in line with past contributions.
“How does the Teton GOP have so much money?” asked Annette Osnos, chair of the Teton County Democratic Party, which did not give money to candidates this cycle. “We have other ways that we support candidates with meet and greets and canvassing,” she said.
The Teton County GOP spent more on races in 2024 and 2022 — $165,494 and $109,058, respectively — though chair Katherine “Kat” Rueckert said that was “spread out across many more candidates.”
The money helps with name recognition, especially when candidates are challenging incumbents, Rueckert said.
Contributions came from “past fundraising efforts which are meant to go towards getting quality candidates elected,” she said. That included events featuring the late Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika that attracted hundreds of donors, former GOP chair Mary Martin said. Spending helped boost the two candidates with the best chances this cycle, she said.
“Those are the two races that the party thinks are very winnable,” Martin said. “The party was trying to help even that playing field.”
Energy consultant Shannon Brennan, the GOP pick for Wyoming House District 23, raised $87,925 in the general, and spent about half that on advertising and events. Most of the money was from the local Republican Party, which gave $50,000, and a self-donated loan of $26,000. Only $500 came from an outside PAC — the Virginia-based Common Values, which is affiliated with U.S. Sen. John Barrasso.
Her opponent, Democratic incumbent Rep. Liz Storer, raised $7,921 in the general following $38,281 in the primary. Brennan raised $622 in the primary.
The amount raised by HD 23 candidates falls short of a record-breaking race in 2022, when Storer narrowly defeated Republican Paul Vogelheim, raising $75,925 to his $125,529. Storer ran unopposed in 2024.
Election Day will reveal whether all the money makes a difference, Storer said, noting most of her fundraising was from individual donors.
“A lot of it has to do with how you spend your money and how you’re getting out there,” she said.
(Liz Storer and her husband Luther Propst are financial supporters of KHOL. Contributions do not influence KHOL’s journalism).
Brennan, a St. John’s Health board member who moved to Moran in 2021, did not respond to requests for comment.
Wyoming GOP Chairman Bryan Miller said Brennan is “a great Republican candidate to represent Teton County and we look forward to her winning her election on Tuesday.” The state party gave her $2,000. She received another $5,000 from the Crook County GOP.
The other big race for Teton’s GOP was for sheriff, Martin said.
Republican Eric Snow raised $23,462 before August to incumbent Democrat Matt Carr’s $1,500. Both were unopposed in the primary.
Carr raised significantly more in the general election with $43,650. Yet Snow nearly doubled that at $70,547. Half of Snow’s backing, $35,500, came from the Teton GOP. Another $30,000 was attributed to an “in-kind” donation of consulting work done by his wife, Jemima Snow. An additional $1,000 came from outside the state from an individual in California. Records show both spent mostly on advertising.
Independent sheriff’s candidate Chris Glenn raised just $138. He spent that on a website and posters.
Though Wyoming races run cheap compared to other states, the cost to run a competitive House race has tripled in the last ten years, said Rep. Andrew Byron, an unopposed Republican House candidate. This year’s GOP donations raised some concern, even from some Republicans.
“Their contributions in this cycle are rather large,” Byron said. “I’ve fielded a lot of phone calls and conversations from Republicans that have been involved in the party in Teton County for a very long time that are just shocked at the amount of cash that got behind a couple of these candidates.”
Byron received his own $22,000 donation from the Teton GOP in 2022, half Brennan’s haul, and said he wouldn’t have chosen to spend as much if he was active in the local GOP. Relationships, door knocking, and a history of community service are more helpful to winning local elections here, he said.
“A big chunk of the change buys ad space… but I don’t think it always sways voters as much as people think,” Byron said.
Paul Vogelheim shared his surprise. “These are big payments for two races,” the former Teton County Commissioner and party chair said.
Vogelheim was elected precinct committeeman in August and said “regime change” is coming.
“There’s a number of us that would like to come in and reshape the Republican Party so that it better reflects the values of Teton County,” he said, including “good fiscal responsibility and accountability.”
Reuckert lost her bid for precinct committeewoman but will remain chair until at least March 2027.
Keep Jackson Hole, a controversial PAC tied to Storer, raised $12,500 from her and two others (James Speyer and Charles Thomson) in the primary. Storer contributed another $2,500 for the general. The group has spent over $18,000 on candidates, including the representative’s husband Luther Propst, a county commission incumbent.
Propst led primary fundraising at $38,119 but raised only $8,061 since.
His independent opponent Alex Muromcew led fundraising in the general election commission race with $23,025. The six candidates vying for three seats spent mostly on advertising and some events and consulting. That race is packed with two other Democrats who are first-time challengers and two Republicans who have run before and lost. Those GOP challengers received modest donations of about $2,000 from the local party.
The last commissioner to be elected as an independent was Sandy Shuptrine in 2003. She lost in the Democratic primary in 2016.
The next largest race by fundraising was the nonpartisan contest for town council, led by incumbent Jonathan Schechter, who raised $22,148 in the general and $25,656 in the primary. Fellow incumbent Alyson Spery raised $5,150 this cycle, adding to $5,250. Opponents Jessica Sell Chambers raised $8,374 and Gabriel Koerber raised $568. Neither raised in the primary.
More than 25% of registered voters have already cast a ballot ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
You must be logged in to post a comment.