The most recent fundraising numbers for the Wyoming Senate race are a bit surprising: Sen. Mike Enzi’s (R-WY) primary challenger, Republican Liz Cheney, out-fundraised the incumbent senator.
Cheney announced Tuesday that her campaign raised $1 million in the most recent quarter while Enzi’s campaign fell a little short, raising about $850,000 over the same period.
“With contributions from nearly 2,000 individuals, including donors in every county in Wyoming and every state in the Union, our campaign is off to a powerful start,” Cheney said in an email to supporters on Tuesday. “This outpouring of support sends a loud and clear message to the Washington, DC Establishment — business as usual just won’t cut it anymore.”
It’s important to note that even though Cheney has raised more than Enzi, the sitting senator still has the lead in a number of key polls in the race. Indeed, Enzi has consistently been seen as the frontrunner in the race, often polling ahead of Cheney. Enzi has reported that he has $1.2 million in cash on hand, while Cheney’s campaign didn’t release its reserve figures.
Cheney has remained on the defensive for most of the race so far, being hit by multiple conservative super PACs and making headlines not for her attacks against Enzi, but for questions related to her residency, interactions with powerful figures in Wyoming politics and her position on about same-sex marriage (Cheney’s sister is gay).
Even though Cheney did raise more than Enzi she’s likely to continue to trail in the race. Enzi himself has said he didn’t expect to raise immense amounts of money but that hasn’t stopped him from retaining a comfortable lead in the race.
