United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming, 2008

The 2008 congressional elections in Wyoming will be held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Wyoming in the United States House of Representatives. Wyoming has one seat in the House, the At-large district, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; whoever is elected will serve in the 111th Congress from January 4, 2009 until January 3, 2011. The election coincides with the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Overview

The statewide Primary election was held August 19, 2008.

A February 2008 poll showed this race in a dead heat with Democratic nominee Gary Trauner slightly edging Republican nominee Cynthia Lummis 41% to 40%. CQ Politics forecasts the race as 'Leans Republican'. A mid_may poll by Research 2000/Daily Kos showed Trauner leading Lummis 44-41%.

Six-term Barbara Cubin (R) is retiring, making this an open seat. [Marie Horrigan, [http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002625454 Wyoming Republican Cubin to Leave the House] "CQ Politics", November 9, 2007] She had beaten her Democratic opponent, Teton County School Board Chairman Gary Trauner, by only 1,012 votes in 2006. She sought reelection in a district – coterminous with the state of Wyoming – that gave George W. Bush an overwhelming victory with 69% of the vote in 2004 but whose governor, Dave Freudenthal (D), was reelected with 70% of the vote in 2006. Cubin has been a lightning rod for controversy over a number of incidents that ranged from receiving money from ARMPAC, to distributing penis-shaped cookies to male colleagues while in the Wyoming Legislature, to even an incident after a televised debate in which she remarked that if the Libertarian candidate, Thomas Rankin, who has multiple sclerosis and must use a wheelchair, "weren’t sitting in that chair," she would have slapped him in the face. So few were surprised when Cubin announced that she would retire from Congress as she would have faced bouth a tough primary and general campaign for an 8th term. [Eric Kleefeld, [http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/gop_congresswoman_cubin_to_retire.php GOP Congresswoman Cubin To Retire] "TPM Election Central", November 9, 2007]

On the Republican side, Cheyenne substitute teacher Swede Nelson was the first to announce his candidacy for the seat on September 8, 2007. State House Majority Leader Colin M. Simpson, son of former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, announced he intended to run early in 2007 but later withdrew from the race. Other Republicans running include conservative former state Treasurer Cynthia Lummis, state Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, Buffalo businessman and rancher Mark Gordon, and retired naval captain and 2006 candidate Bill Winney who garnered 40% of the vote against Cubin in the 2006 primary. As of April, Nelson and Zwonizter had withdrawn their candidacies. Lummis and Gordon were considered the frontrunners in the Primary, with Lummis's immense experience and name recognition and Gordon's massive war chest ($647,768 in self-financing as of June 30, 2008), and had already aired TV ads. After Zwonizter withdrew, Green River Physican and Ron Paul Advocate Mike Holland jumped in the race. Gordon ended up outspending Lummis 4-1 in the primary and went negative on her campaign, airing ads of her past voting record of increasing taxes. Lummis countered with ads attacking Gordon's funding of Democrats Trauner and Gov. Dave Freudenthal in 2006 and John Kerry for president in 2004. On Primary Day, Lummis defeated Gordon 46-37%, with Winney receiving 12% and Holland 5%.

Moving on from her win in the primary, Lummis faces the Democrat, Trauner. The race will likely be decided by who can receive the most Gordon supporters, and if Trauner can gain as much Republican support as he did in 2006. Trauner has a tremendous fundraising advantage over Lummis.

See also

* Wyoming's At-large congressional district

References

External links

* [http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Elections.aspx Elections] from the "Wyoming Secretary of State"
* [http://www.votesmart.org/election_congress_state.php?state_id=WY&go33.x=7&go33.y=10 U.S. Congress candidates for Wyoming] at Project Vote Smart
* [http://www.2008racetracker.com/page/Wyoming Wyoming U.S. House Races] from "2008 Race Tracker"
* [http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=district-WY-AL Race ranking and details] from CQ Politics
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=WY01&cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] from OpenSecrets.org
* [http://www.pollster.com/polls/wy/08-wy-al-ge-lvt.php Lummis (R) vs Trauner (D)] graph of poll results at "Pollster.com"

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