In a significant rebuke to former President Donald Trump, Wyoming Republicans have decisively rejected a proposal to ban so-called 'crossover' voting in their primary elections.
The vote took place during the Wyoming Republican Party's central committee meeting in Cheyenne, where members considered ending the practice that allows voters to change their party affiliation on primary election day.
Trump's Failed Intervention
Despite Donald Trump's public condemnation of crossover voting through his Truth Social platform, where he called it 'a total scam and cheating,' Wyoming Republicans overwhelmingly voted against the ban. The former president had specifically endorsed conservative activist Charlie Kirk's campaign against the practice.
Kirk's Turning Point Action group had launched an aggressive last-minute push to sway committee members, arguing that crossover voting allowed Democrats to 'infiltrate' Republican primaries and influence outcomes.
Historical Context and Recent Controversies
The debate over crossover voting gained momentum after Wyoming's 2022 Republican primary, where Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman defeated Liz Cheney. Some conservatives claimed that Democratic voters switching affiliation had influenced previous contentious primaries.
However, the proposed ban failed to gain sufficient support, with 44% of committee members voting in favour and 56% against - falling short of the required two-thirds majority.
Mixed Reactions Across the Political Spectrum
Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne expressed disappointment with the outcome, stating the party would 'regroup and figure out where we go from here.'
Meanwhile, supporters of maintaining the current system argued that it promotes voter engagement and allows for broader participation in the electoral process.
The decision leaves Wyoming as one of the few states maintaining open primary rules, setting it apart from neighbouring Republican-dominated states that have implemented stricter voting regulations.
