Read on Twitter
500 follower special, again: This year Wyoming Republican Mike Enzi retired and is being succeeded by former WY-AL Representative Cynthia Lummis so I decided to look at Enzi's first two senate elections, Lummis' election, and the swing between them. #ElectionTwitter
In 1996, state senator Mike Enzi won a close GOP primary against his future colleague John Barrasso to face former WY Secretary of State and 1994 Dem. nominee for Governor Kathy Karpan. This was back when Wyoming Dems could still come close federally and Enzi only won 54-42.
Six years later, Enzi cruised to victory, doing 18 points better than 1996 and winning every county in the state. Dem. Lander Mayor Joyce Corcoran got 27% to Enzi's 73% as Dem. former US Attorney for the District of Wyoming Dave Freudenthal narrowly won the gubernatorial race.
Jumping forward 18 years when Enzi announces his retirement. In the now-solidly red state, the GOP primary is the real contest and was expected to be hard-fought between Lummis and Rep. Liz Cheney. However, Cheney declined to run and Lummis coasted in the primary and the general.
Between 1996 and 2004, Teton, an ancestrally Republican tourist county, moved right the least while Sweetwater, an ancestrally Democratic mining county, moved right the second-most. From 1996 to 2020 and 2002 to 2020, Teton moved left the most and Sweetwater moved right the most.
@AWildWesterner @SenhorRaposa @D_llack @norwood270 @Thorongil16 @mcimaps @ohheckerman @Conblob @we_want_gore @Uncrewed @brianrkramer @im_sorry_wtf @StephieTheLefty @ElderEdmonson @hjessy_ @Yukongold1898 @kilometerbryman @7th_ET @jhpark06_ @imbecilesrus
