Cheney was one of ten Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and one of two Republicans appointed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to sit on the Select Committee investigating the riot. She is the fourth Republican who voted to impeach Trump to lose their primary, joining South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice, Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, and Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. (RELATED: Pro-Impeachment Rep. Dan Newhouse Skates Past Trump-Endorsed Primary Challenge)
Elections forecasters called the race at 9:30 pm Eastern time, half-an-hour after voting ended, and with only five percent of votes officially counted. Polls consistently showed Hageman leading Cheney by more than 20 points.
First elected to Congress in 2016, Cheney was promoted to House Republican Conference chairwoman in 2019. She survived a February 2021 removal vote, with more than two-thirds of the conference supporting her. Three months later, the conference replaced her with New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Hageman, an attorney, received Trump’s endorsement in September 2021. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Stefanik, and other top Republicans fundraised for Hageman, a rare step that McCarthy claimed was necessary because “Cheney isn’t doing the work for Wyoming.” Dozens of House Republicans endorsed Cheney’s challenger.
Cheney struck a defiant tone throughout the course of her campaign, going so far as to tell voters not to support her during a primary debate if they wanted someone who would violate their oath of office.
“If you’re looking for someone who will, you need to vote for someone else on this stage,” she said.
Seventy percent of Wyoming voters supported Trump in 2020, and 68% supported Cheney, meaning the at-large seat is likely to remain in GOP hands.