Depending upon how you slice it, it might be the biggest of the 21st century. And its nearest competitors have something in common.
Rep. Liz Cheney’s loss in Tuesday’s Wyoming primary was a staggering setback for what exists of the anti-Trump movement in the Republican Party. She was defeated by more than 2-1 by Trump-backed Harriet Hageman, short-circuiting a once-promising political career and serving notice that, however much or little direct control the former president exercises over the party, running afoul of him remains perilous.
The result perhaps wasn’t too surprising in a state that gave Donald Trump 70 percent of the vote in the 2020 election — his best state in the country — but the size of Cheney’s loss shouldn’t be undersold.
In fact, depending upon how you slice the numbers, it might be the biggest incumbent primary loss of the 21st century.
The current results show Hageman taking 66.3 percent of the vote to Cheney’s 28.9 percent — a margin of more than 37 points — with 99 percent of expected votes counted.
