In this episode of Eye on the Issues, we take a deep dive into campaign finance in Wyoming with Steve Klein, author of the new report No One's Buying Wyoming Elections: A Candid Look at a Decade of Campaign Finance Disclosure.
After reviewing ten years of campaign finance reports covering more than 400 Wyoming legislative and statewide races, Klein challenges one of the most common political assumptions — that money routinely decides elections. His analysis shows that in Wyoming, the candidate who spends the most wins only about 58 percent of the time, raising serious questions about claims that donors are "buying" political outcomes.
Klein also explains how Wyoming's campaign finance system operates largely on an honor system, with little auditing or enforcement unless complaints are filed, often by political opponents. He shares surprising examples of clear reporting violations that went uncorrected and outlines why meaningful accountability should start with random audits of candidate filings before expanding regulations on outside groups and political speech.
Beyond the numbers, the conversation offers an encouraging message for everyday Wyomingites considering a run for office. Klein explains how grassroots campaigning, door-to-door outreach, and relatively modest fundraising can still be enough to run a competitive campaign in many districts, preserving Wyoming's tradition of accessible citizen government.
To read the full report discussed in this interview, visit https://bit.ly/4chijMU and be sure to sign up for the Wyoming Liberty Group newsletter for more in-depth policy research and interviews.