No One's "Buying" Wyoming Elections

Wyoming Liberty Group, in collaboration with attorney and researcher Stephen R. Klein of Barr & Klein PLLC, has released a new policy study titled "No One's 'Buying' Wyoming Elections: A Candid Look at a Decade of Campaign Finance Disclosure."

The study examines every Wyoming statewide and legislative race from 2016 through 2024 to answer a question often asked but rarely tested: does money really buy elections in Wyoming? After reviewing more than 400 contested races, the findings are clear — the highest-spending candidate won fewer than half of the 2024 primary and general elections, after such candidates had achieved slightly better than 50-50 coin-flip odds across 4 election cycles.

The report concludes that Wyoming's campaign-finance disclosure system, while imperfect, already provides meaningful transparency. Most violations stem from late or missing reports, not corruption or secret donors. Rather than adding new layers of regulation, Wyoming Liberty Group recommends two practical reforms: removing contribution limits to level the playing field for challengers and requiring the Secretary of State to conduct random audits of campaign reports to strengthen accountability.

This research offers a fact-based counterpoint to the rhetoric that money dominates Wyoming politics — and reaffirms that our state's elections remain driven by people, not pocketbooks.