Wyoming Democratic Party


The Wyoming Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in Wyoming, headquartered in Cheyenne. The party was strong during Wyoming's territorial days, but suffered a decline in its early statehood although it rose to prominence again from the 1930s to the 1950s before suffering another a steep decline and becoming one of the weakest Democratic affiliates.
The leader of the party in the Wyoming Senate is Chris Rothfuss, while the leader in the House is Cathy Connolly. The Vice Chair of the party is Erin O'Doherty.

History

On September 2, 1869, Wyoming held its first territorial elections and the Democratic party won in a landslide winning all nine seats in the Council and all twelve seats in the House of Representatives. In 1889, the party selected fifteen delegates to the Wyoming constitutional convention to draft its constitution to be submitted for statehood that included Henry S. Elliott, George W. Baxter, Anthony C. Campbell, Henry A. Coffeen, William C. Irvine, James A. Johnston, Edward J. Morris, John M. McCandlish, Caleb P. Organ, Louis J. Palmer, John L. Russell, Charles H. Burritt, Douglas A. Preston, Thomas R. Reid, and Noyes Baldwin.
In the 1920 elections the party was defeated in a landslide by the Republicans with Warren G. Harding flipping the state in the presidential election after gaining 22.29% from Charles Evans Hughes' performance in 1916, losing seven of their ten senate seats, and losing ten of their eleven house seats with Thurman Arnold of Albany county as the only Democratic member of the state house. However, the party improved in the 1922 elections and gained twenty-two seats in the state house.
In the 1934 elections the party won every statewide office for the only time in its history and took control of the state senate for the first time since statehood. However, in the 1938 elections the party lost all three of the five statewide offices and lost control of both legislative chambers and since then has never held a majority in the state senate and only held a majority in the state house for four years.
On May 11, 1974, delegates to the party's state convention voted to add the impeachment of President Richard Nixon to the state party's platform. In the 1984 state legislative elections the party lost seven seats in the House of Representatives due to Governor Edgar Herschler's unpopular decision to veto a homeowners tax credit program stating that it would subsidize homeowners who did not need it.
Chuck Graves, who was then the party's chairman, criticized the Democratic National Committee for including Wyoming as a state that was too Republican and would be written off during the 1992 presidential election along with Nevada, Idaho, and Utah.
During the 2002 elections the national party gave the party $25,000. During the 2006 elections the national party conducted a fifty-state strategy under Chairman Howard Dean's leadership and invested large amounts of money in swing and red states. In 2005 the national committee started sending $10,000 per month for staff support and in 2006 it paid for field and communications directors and invested $100,000 into the party. In the 2006 House election Gary Trauner was narrowly defeated by Representative Barbara Cubin and was the closest the party had came to winning Wyoming's federal House seat since Teno Roncalio won reelection in 1976.

Officials

Congressional

Presidential

Election yearVote percentage+/–VotesPresidential candidateVice presidential candidateResult
18927,722James B. WeaverJames G. FieldLost
1896 5.3510,861William Jennings BryanArthur Sewall
Thomas E. Watson		Won
1900 10.3210,164William Jennings BryanAdlai Stevenson ILost
1904 12.098,930Alton B. ParkerHenry Gassaway DavisLost
1908 10.5914,918William Jennings BryanJohn W. KernLost
1912 3.4715,310Woodrow WilsonThomas R. MarshallWon
1916 18.4228,316Woodrow WilsonThomas R. MarshallWon
1920 22.7617,429James M. CoxFranklin D. RooseveltLost
1924 15.7512,868John W. DavisCharles W. BryanLost
1928 19.2629,299Al SmithJoseph Taylor RobinsonLost
1932 20.7054,370Franklin D. RooseveltJohn Nance GarnerWon
1936 4.5162,624Franklin D. RooseveltJohn Nance GarnerWon
1940 7.7659,287Franklin D. RooseveltHenry A. WallaceWon
1944 4.0549,419Franklin D. RooseveltHarry S. TrumanLost
1948 2.8552,354Harry S. TrumanAlben W. BarkleyWon
1952 14.5347,934Adlai Stevenson IIJohn SparkmanLost
1956 2.8349,554Adlai Stevenson IIEstes KefauverLost
1960 5.0763,331John F. KennedyLyndon B. JohnsonLost
1964 11.5780,718Lyndon B. JohnsonHubert HumphreyWon
1968 21.0545,173Hubert HumphreyEdmund MuskieLost
1972 5.0444,358George McGovernSargent ShriverLost
1976 9.3462,239Jimmy CarterWalter MondaleLost
1980 11.8449,427Jimmy CarterWalter MondaleLost
1984 0.2753,370Walter MondaleGeraldine FerraroLost
1988 9.7767,113Michael DukakisLloyd BentsenLost
1992 3.9168,160Bill ClintonAl GoreLost
1996 2.7477,934Bill ClintonAl GoreLost
2000 9.1460,481Al GoreJoe LiebermanLost
2004 1.3770,776John KerryJohn EdwardsLost
2008 3.4782,868Barack ObamaJoe BidenLost
2012 4.7269,286Barack ObamaJoe BidenLost
2016 6.1955,973Hillary ClintonTim KaineLost

Congressional

Election yearVote percentage+/–VotesNo. of
overall seats won		+/–
18906,520
1892 9.56%8,855 1
1894 19.17%6,152 1
1896 16.97%10,310 1
1898 6.10%8,466 1
1900 2.25%10,017
1902 4.79%8,892
1904 3.79%9,903
1906 0.86%8,944
1908 3.25%13,643
1910 3.16%14,659
1912 3.76%14,720
1914 5.73%17,246
1916 6.51%24,156
1918 12.15%14,639
1920 9.31%14,952
1922 19.48%27,017
1924 7.07%28,537
1926 0.19%25,082
1928 9.09%35,972
1930 13.43%23,519
1932 13.36%43,056
1934 10.57%53,288 1
1936 1.14%56,204
1938 10.05%44,525 1
1940 6.23%57,030 1
1942 4.07%36,892 1
1944 4.98%42,569
1946 0.31%34,956
1948 4.49%47,246
1950 2.97%42,483
1952 5.61%50,559
1954 3.92%47,660
1956 2.01%50,225
1958 4.61%51,886
1960 1.29%64,090
1962 9.09%44,985
1964 12.17%70,693 1
1966 3.09%57,442 1
1968 10.44%45,950
1970 13.00%58,456 1
1972 1.44%75,632
1974 3.00%69,434
1976 1.74%85,721
1978 15.07%53,522 1
1980 9.94%53,338
1982 2.52%46,041
1984 4.51%45,857
1986 6.32%48,780
1988 1.10%56,527
1989 11.16%60,845
1990 1.93%70,977
1992 5.61%77,418
1994 2.00%81,022
1996 0.48%85,724
1998 2.13%67,399
2000 10.13%60,638
2002 7.65%65,961
2004 5.62%99,989
2006 5.91%92,324
2008 4.93%106,758
2010 18.33%45,768
2012 0.65%57,573
2014 0.93%37,803
2016 7.07%75,466
2018 0.20%59,903

Election yearVote percentage+/–VotesNo. of
overall seats won		+/–
191626,324 1
191817,528
1922 5.2735,734
1924 0.8433,536
1928 3.2443,032
1930 2.1230,259
1934 3.1253,806
1936 12.6653,919 1
1940 2.1265,022
1942 8.4234,503 1
1946 2.5345,843
1948 11.7057,953 1
1952 7.8562,921 1
1954 5.5857,845
1958 2.4858,035 1
1960 7.9060,447 1
1964 3.1576,485
1966 4.5759,141
1970 1.7967,207
1972 19.5140,753
1976 10.3770,558 1
1978 9.1450,456
1982 2.0772,466
1984 16.1540,525
1988 6.2989,821
1990 14.3856,848
1994 10.3279,287
1996 6.1589,103
2000 17.2747,087
2002 15.1649,570
2006 7.8257,671
2008 2.7966,202
2012 8.2153,019
2014 6.8129,377
2018 8.4561,227

Gubernatorial

Election yearVote percentage+/–VotesCandidateResult
18907,153George W. BaxterLost
1892 9.229,290John Eugene OsborneWon
1894 17.736,965William H. HollidayLost
1898 9.288,989Horace C. AlgerLost
1902 5.4010,017George T. BeckLost
1904 0.7212,137John Eugene OsborneLost
1906 4.429,444Stephen A. D. KeisterLost
1910 20.7521,086Joseph M. CareyWon
1914 3.9922,387John B. KendrickWon
1918 7.7118,640Frank L. HouxLost
1922 6.1331,110William B. RossWon
1924 5.0943,323Nellie Tayloe RossWon
1926 6.1734,286Nellie Tayloe RossLost
1930 0.4737,188Leslie A. MillerLost
1932 1.1648,130Leslie A. MillerWon
1934 7.3354,305Leslie A. MillerWon
1938 17.7238,501Leslie A. MillerLost
1942 11.1339,599Lester C. HuntWon
1946 1.5643,020Lester C. HuntWon
1950 9.0342,518John J. McIntyreLost
1954 5.6555,163William M. JackLost
1958 0.5655,070John J. HickeyWon
1962 3.4154,298Jack R. GageLost
1966 0.1855,249Ernest WilkersonLost
1970 8.5044,008John J. RooneyLost
1974 18.6771,741Edgar HerschlerWon
1978 5.0269,972Edgar HerschlerWon
1982 12.28106,427Edgar HerschlerWon
1986 9.1888,879Mike SullivanWon
1990 11.39104,638Mike SullivanWon
1994 25.1780,747Kathy KarpanLost
1998 0.2870,754John VinichLost
2002 9.5192,662Dave FreudenthalWon
2006 20.03135,516Dave FreudenthalWon
2010 47.0543,240Leslie PetersenLost
2014 4.3145,752Pete GosarLost
2018 0.2955,965Mary ThroneLost

State legislature

Election yearNo. of
overall seats won		+/–Governor
1869John Allen Campbell
1870 3-
1872 3-
1874 12-
1876 2John Milton Thayer
1878 11John Wesley Hoyt
1880 3-
1882 7William Hale
1884 4-
1886 5George W. Baxter
1888 8Thomas Moonlight
1890 1Francis E. Warren
1892 9Amos W. Barber
1894 14John Eugene Osborne
1896 9William A. Richards
1898 8William A. Richards
1900 1DeForest Richards
1902 2DeForest Richards
1904 1Fenimore Chatterton
1906 2Bryant Butler Brooks
1908 2Bryant Butler Brooks
1910 18Bryant Butler Brooks
1912 3Joseph M. Carey
1914 13-
1916 10John B. Kendrick
1918 14Frank L. Houx
1920 10Robert D. Carey
1922 22Robert D. Carey
1924Frank Lucas
1926 5Nellie Tayloe Ross
1928 6Frank Emerson
1930 15Frank Emerson
1932 16Alonzo M. Clark
1934 4Leslie A. Miller
1936-
1938 19-
1940 9Nels H. Smith
1942 11-
1944 3Lester C. Hunt
1946 7-
1948 16-
1950 11Arthur G. Crane
1952 6Frank A. Barrett
1954 13Clifford Joy Rogers
1956 2Milward Simpson
1958 4Milward Simpson
1960 9John J. Hickey
1962 2Jack R. Gage
1964 15Clifford Hansen
1966 7-
1968 11Stanley K. Hathaway
1970 4Stanley K. Hathaway
1972 3Stanley K. Hathaway
1974 12Stanley K. Hathaway
1976Edgar Herschler
1978 9-
1980 3-
1982 2-
1984 7-
1986 2-
1988 1Mike Sullivan
1990 1-
1992 3-
1994 6-
1996 4Jim Geringer
1998Jim Geringer
2000 3Jim Geringer
2002 1Jim Geringer
2004 1Dave Freudenthal
2006 3-
2008 2-
2010 9-
2012 2Matt Mead
2014 1Matt Mead
2016Matt Mead
2018Matt Mead

Election yearNo. of
overall seats won		+/–Governor
1869John Allen Campbell
1870 4-
1872 1-
1874 7-
1876 2John Milton Thayer
1878 1John Wesley Hoyt
1880 1-
1882 1William Hale
1884-
1886 5George W. Baxter
1888 4Thomas Moonlight
1890 4Francis E. Warren
1892 2Amos W. Barber
1894 1John Eugene Osborne
1896William A. Richards
1898 2William A. Richards
1900 4DeForest Richards
1902DeForest Richards
1904 1Fenimore Chatterton
1906 1Bryant Butler Brooks
1908 1Bryant Butler Brooks
1910 3Bryant Butler Brooks
1912 2Joseph M. Carey
1914 1-
1916 2John B. Kendrick
1918 1Frank L. Houx
1920 7Robert D. Carey
1922 2Robert D. Carey
1924 6Frank Lucas
1926 1Nellie Tayloe Ross
1928 2Frank Emerson
1930 4Frank Emerson
1932 6Alonzo M. Clark
1934 2Leslie A. Miller
1936 2-
1938 5-
1940Nels H. Smith
1942 1Nels H. Smith
1944 4Lester C. Hunt
1946 2-
1948 1-
1950 1Arthur G. Crane
1952 4Frank A. Barrett
1954 2Clifford Joy Rogers
1956 3Milward Simpson
1958Milward Simpson
1960 1John J. Hickey
1962 1Jack R. Gage
1964 1Clifford Hansen
1966Clifford Hansen
1968Stanley K. Hathaway
1970 1Stanley K. Hathaway
1972 2Stanley K. Hathaway
1974 2Stanley K. Hathaway
1976 3Edgar Herschler
1978 1-
1980-
1982-
1984-
1986-
1988Mike Sullivan
1990 1-
1992-
1994-
1996 1Jim Geringer
1998Jim Geringer
2000 1Jim Geringer
2002Jim Geringer
2004 3Dave Freudenthal
2006-
2008-
2010 3-
2012Matt Mead
2014Matt Mead
2016 1Matt Mead
2018Matt Mead