Largely Avoiding Primary Endorsements, Trump Clears Wyoming Senate Race Field for Woman Who Toppled Liz Cheney

President Trump is not offering many primary endorsements ahead of the 2026 midterms so far, yet he was more than happy to back a Wyoming lawmaker in next year’s Senate race after that same representative defeated Congresswoman Liz Cheney in 2022. In what could have been a testy GOP primary in one of America’s reddest states, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman appears to be on a glide path to the U.S. Senate. Ms. Hageman announced her candidacy on Tuesday morning with a video that featured her 103-year-old mother. She spoke about Wyoming’s role in producing an abundance of American energy, and about how vital it is that her state maintain its key role in the nation’s economy. Her only real potential challenger could be Governor Mark Gordon, who has so far not yet ruled out a run for the seat, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide. The swift endorsement for Ms. Hageman by Mr. Trump on Tuesday, however, likely makes it impossible for any other major GOP challenger to emerge in a state the president won by more than 45 points. “I know Harriet well, and she is a TOTAL WINNER! Harriet has ALWAYS delivered for Wyoming, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social just three hours after Ms. Hageman announced her candidacy. “Harriet Hageman has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be your next Senator.”Mr. Trump may have a special fondness for her because Ms. Hageman was the person to defeat Ms. Cheney three years ago in the Republican primary for Wyoming’s lone seat in the House of Representatives. At that time, Mr. Trump endorsed Ms. Hageman and cleared the field in conservatives’ battle to defeat Ms. Cheney.Hours after Mr. Trump endorsed Ms. Hageman, the powerful chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senator Tim Scott, also backed the congresswoman. The NRSC is responsible for electing Republicans to the Senate. “Harriet Hageman is a battle-tested conservative, a trusted Trump ally, and the fighter that Wyoming has come to rely on. With the support of President Donald J. Trump and the backing of Wyoming voters, I’m looking forward to welcoming Hageman to the U.S. Senate in 2026,” Mr. Scott wrote on X. In most contested primaries so far, Mr. Trump has largely avoided any contentious fights. A number of critical swing states are holding Senate elections next year — nearly all of which he has stayed away from. In New Hampshire, where Senator Jeanne Shaheen — a Democrat — is retiring, Mr. Trump has declined to endorse anyone so far in what could be an ugly primary. Two ex-lawmakers, Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Senator John Sununu, who represented New Hampshire for six years in the chamber, have already declared their candidacies for the 2026 race. In Georgia and Maine, the president has also stayed out of the Republican contests. The Texas Senate race — which is expected to be a single-digit contest between the Democratic and Republican nominees, regardless of who wins the primary — the president has said he is not planning on endorsing anyone yet. Senator John Cornyn, who has represented the state for more than two decades, is being challenged by the state attorney general Ken Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt. “I’m going to make a determination at the right time,” Mr. Trump said earlier this year, despite the first round of the primary being just ten weeks away.

Largely Avoiding Primary Endorsements, Trump Clears Wyoming Senate Race Field for Woman Who Toppled Liz Cheney

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