Khale Lenhart

The 2024 presidential election is beginning to loom large in our public affairs. We are less than 10 months from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, and less than a year from Super Tuesday. By this time a year from now, we will likely know who the presidential nominees will be, or at least will have it narrowed down to two or three possibilities. With this in mind, Wyomingites should begin thinking about what the future of national politics holds and how we can be involved.

The presidency is the highest profile and most discussed political office in the country — and probably the world. The priorities, leadership and decision-making of the president impacts countless aspects of our day-to-day life. He or she touches everything from tax rates to energy policy and those decisions have major impacts on Wyoming and its citizens. Especially for communities heavily invested in the resource extraction industry, the person who occupies the presidency can be a major factor in whether the community prospers or struggles. Suffice it to say that Wyoming citizens are — and should be — concerned with who our next president is.

However, it is not easy to cast a vote for president in Wyoming, particularly in the primaries. Because we are a “caucus” state, it is not as simple as showing up to the polls. Instead, Wyoming citizens must navigate an often-confusing set of local party rules and procedures to participate in the presidential nomination process. The caucus process requires interested voters to understand local party rules and procedures governing the caucus and conventions, take the time out of their days to show up and participate in those processes, and then hope that party rules result in delegates being allocated in accordance with the will of the voters.

As a former Republican Party officer, I can shed some light on the GOP process. The Wyoming Republican Party has a multi-tiered system, beginning with county caucuses. County caucuses are the only time that the rank-and-file Republican voter has an opportunity to participate in the presidential nomination process. At county caucuses, voters separate into individual precincts and elect delegates to a county convention. Theoretically, the choice of delegates from precincts to the county convention will correspond to the presidential preferences of those precinct voters. In practice, the number of participants is typically small enough that the delegates to the county convention are chosen by who will agree to serve, not by contested elections. As a result, the people who vote on behalf of Republicans in Wyoming are typically two groups: first, the precinct men and women elected at primary election-time and second, a few more who are willing to take several hours out of their evening on the county caucus date and several more hours on county convention dates to participate in an arcane and time-consuming procedure.  

It is surprising to many that the Republican caucus process typically never gives voters an opportunity to cast a ballot for their presidential candidate. Straw polls are discouraged or prohibited by party rules, and even if they were held, straw poll results have no bearing on ultimate delegate choice. Instead, the only meaningful vote taken by caucus participants is the vote for who will be a delegate to the county convention. Because of this, it is the people who are willing to sacrifice their time at caucuses and conventions that ultimately choose what delegates will be sent from Wyoming to the Republican National Convention and what voice Wyoming will have in the Republican presidential nomination.  

Even though the process is an inefficient one, it is not an unworthy one. Due to Wyoming’s overwhelmingly Republican nature, it is well-represented at the national convention. It may not get as many national headlines, but the number of delegates from Wyoming is larger than battleground states like Nevada and New Hampshire. We may be small, but we are meaningful and we provide those with an understanding of the process a chance to have a significant impact.

So what must a Wyoming Republican do to have a say in the 2024 nomination process? First, show up. Our process is convoluted and often confusing, but that gives all the more influence to those who take the time to participate. Because participation is so inconvenient, only a small fraction of eligible voters engage in the process. Second, if you believe in a candidate, be sure to let that campaign know. Caucuses reward enthusiasm as much as broad support. A candidate with a smaller base of support but higher enthusiasm from voters will often perform better at a caucus than a primary. With just a little understanding and effort, Wyoming Republicans can play a meaningful role in the 2024 nomination. If Wyoming is going to have any say in the 2024 presidential election, the Republican caucuses are our best shot.