In the race for Wyoming’s lone House of Representatives Seat in Washington, D.C., much of the money donated has gone to Republican candidate Liz Cheney.
According to the Federal Election Commission filings, Cheney has raised more than $1.4 million in her bid to represent the Cowboy State, more than 14 times the $98,540 amount raised by her opponent, Democrat Ryan Greene. Contributions to Cheney’s campaign in Wyoming total $287,786, representing 19.6 percent of her total contributions. The filings represent the period between Jan. 1 and July 27.
Cheney received $375,250 from donors in Florida and Texas. Donors in New York gave $82,900 while those in Colorado and Illinois contributed $91,550 and $72,900 respectively.
Cheney’s donor list also contains the names of many influential conservatives which include her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. According to the Institute for Money in State Politics, Former President George W. Bush contributed $5,400, as did his wife, Laura Bush. Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara contributed to Cheney’s campaign, both giving her $250, while former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove donated $1,000.
Billionaire Samuel Zell, founder of Equity Group Investments contributed $5,400 to Cheney’s campaign, as did the Orlando Magic’s owner Richard DeVos and venture capitalist and former candidate for governor of Illinois, Ronald Gidwitz.
Cheney has also contributed $66,416 in personal funding to her campaign.
The Green River Star attempted to reach Cheney’s campaign for comment, but the campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests.
For Greene’s campaign, almost all of the funding reported came from within Wyoming. The campaign has received $800 from outside the state. A single donor in Pennsylvania donated $500, which a second in New York donated $250 and a third from Arizona contributed $50. A majority of Greene’s funding is coming from his own pocket as well, with FEC reports showing he has contributed $7,289 to his campaign and loaned the campaign $53,400.
Joe Barbuto, the operations manager for the Greene campaign, said the large gap in funding doesn’t mean a sure victory for Cheney.
“Liz can out raise us, but she won’t out work this campaign,” Barbuto said.
With Greene’s personal spending, Barbuto said it isn’t uncommon for candidates to contribute or loan personal funds to their campaign. Barbuto also said Greene has received support from Republicans across the state following the primary election, saying Cheney’s candidacy is a tough pill to swallow for some conservatives. According for a poll conducted by the Greene campaign, 41 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of Cheney, which is where the campaign sees its opportunity.
“Money can’t buy popularity, it can’t buy this race,” Barbuto said.
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