Cheney loses primary reelection bid to Trump-backed Hageman in Wyoming

Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney lost her bid Tuesday night for a fourth term, becoming the most high-profile Republican to vote to impeach former President Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and lose reelection this year.

Cheney was defeated by Trump-backed attorney Harriet Hageman in the Wyoming GOP primary. The Associated Press officially called the race for Hageman at 10:21 p.m.

Cheney conceded the race, saying, "Tonight Harriet Hageman has received the most votes in this primary. She won. I called her to concede the race. This primary election is over but now the real work begins."

Hageman had 65% of the vote, compared to 31% for Cheney, with 67% of the votes counted, the wire service reported shortly before midnight. 

Cheney's loss was widely expected, after trailing by double-digits for most of her campaign. 

The 56-year-old Cheney's congressional seat is the only one in Wyoming, and Hageman is expected to win in November, considering the state is regarded as one of the most conservative in the country. Trump won the state in 2020 with nearly 70% of the vote.

Cheney, among the most outspoken Trump critics, is also a vice chairperson of the Democrat-led House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

"Two years ago, I won this primary with 73% of the vote," Cheney also said in her concession speech. "I could easily have done the same again, the path was clear, but it would have required that I go along with President Trump's lie about the 2020 election."

Hageman on the Fox News Channel thanked "the great people across the state" as well as other supporters and her campaign volunteers. Hageman said that she wasn't surprised by her rival's concession speech.

"It doesn't surprise me that she would revert to those same old talking points," Hageman said, "because that was really a large part of what got her defeated."

Cheney is one of 10 congressional Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the riot. Four, including Cheney, have lost reelection in 2022. Four have retired, and two still have upcoming races.

On Tuesday night, Cheney also seemed to compare herself to President Abraham Lincoln.

"The great and original champion of our party, Abraham Lincoln, was defeated in elections for the Senate and the House before he won the most important election of all," she said. "Lincoln ultimately prevailed. He saved our union, and he defined our obligation as Americans for all of history."