Wyoming Constitution Party Gains Major Status

Cheyenne, Wyo. The Constitution Party of Wyoming has achieved major party status following the recent gubernatorial election. Rebecca Bextel, who ran on the party's ticket, received 31,000 votes in the race. This total exceeds the threshold required under state statute for a political organization to be designated as a major party.

Before this election, the Constitution Party was a minor player with approximately 600 registered members in the state. It had previously been associated primarily with the statewide campaigns of Rex Rammell. Bextel left the Republican Party to run for governor on the Constitution Party line. Her campaign drew attention to the minor party during the general election.

Local commentator Rod Miller argues that the party now serves a specific function in Wyoming politics. He describes the organization as a necessary receptacle for political figures and voters who no longer align with the two major parties. Miller suggests that the 31,000 voters who supported Bextel likely came from the Republican base. If these voters remain with the Constitution Party, they would form a distinct group separate from the mainstream Republicans.

Miller contends that this separation allows the Republican and Democratic parties to focus on their core orthodoxy. He believes that housing fringe ideologies and less conventional political candidates in the Constitution Party keeps the main political parties cleaner. The major party status ensures the Constitution Party will appear on ballots in the next election cycle, providing a permanent home for these voters.

The party's new status is a direct result of Bextel's performance in the governor's race. Although she did not win the office, her vote total was sufficient to trigger the statutory change. The Constitution Party can now conduct its own conventions and maintain its infrastructure as a recognized major entity in the state. This change reflects the current political alignment of Wyoming voters who support third-party candidates.

Miller notes that the party provides a space for various political ideas that do not fit into the traditional two-party system. He references specific issues, such as border security and educational platforms, that the party might address. The designation as a major party means the Constitution Party will no longer be considered a marginal or minor organization in state elections.