Liz Cheney Won’t Run for Senate, Will Seek Reelection to House

Republican Conference Chairman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington on Dec. 17, 2019. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said she wouldn’t try to take the U.S. Senate seat up for grabs in Wyoming in 2020.

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), 75, is retiring after his current term, prompting speculation Cheney would run for the seat.

But the Republican Conference chairwoman in the House said she thinks she “can have the biggest impact” by remaining in the body.

“Nancy Pelosi and the socialist Democrats in the House of Representatives are threatening our freedom and our Wyoming values every day. They must be stopped. Our nation is facing grave security challenges overseas and the House Democrats are working to weaken our president and embolden our enemies. Socialists in congress and among the presidential candidates are threatening our liberty and freedom,” Cheney, 53, said in a statement on Jan. 16.

“I believe I can have the biggest impact for the people of Wyoming by remaining in leadership in the House of Representatives and working to take our GOP majority back. I will not be running for the Senate in 2020. I plan to seek reelection to the House of Representatives,” she added.

The news was welcomed by former Rep. Cynthia Lummis, who announced in July that she was running for the seat Enzi is vacating.

“As I’ve said before, Congressman Cheney has been a great spokeswoman and leader for the Republican Party in D.C.,“ Lummis said in a statement after Cheney’s announcement. ”Her role as House Republican Conference Chair is one she truly excels in and I think her future knows no bounds. It’s a tremendous benefit to the people of Wyoming to have John Barrasso in leadership in the Senate and Liz Cheney in leadership in the House.”

Former Republican U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Dec. 16, 2019. Mead Gruver/AP Photo

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the Republican Conference chairman in the Senate, added: “We are fortunate to have @RepLizCheney serving the people of Wyoming in the U.S. House. Liz Cheney’s strong leadership and commitment to advancing Wyoming values are vitally important in our efforts to bring fundamental change to the House of Representatives.”

Lummis, 65, is the leading Republican vying for the Senate seat, with three others having announced bids. Two Democrats are also vying for the seat, which is expected to remain Republican.

Cheney represents Wyoming’s at-large congressional district, which comprises the entire state. No Republicans have announced bids for the seat. Carol Hafner, a Democrat who ran for Alaska’s at-large congressional district in 2018, is vying for the seat.

Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, won the 2018 election with over 63 percent of the vote, slightly more than she earned in 2016. Cheney took the seat over from Lummis, who didn’t seek reelection in 2016.