Lynn Friess Endorses Gordon for Governor

Lynn Friess, the widow of 2018 gubernatorial candidate Foster Friess, put out a statement on Thursday announcing her support for Governor Mark Gordon in the August Republican primary.

Friess said in her statement:

"Mark has continued to fight to protect Wyoming’s freedoms. Mark led our state through the worst pandemic in a century with kindness and the common sense leadership we expect from our Wyoming leaders," Friess said. "The Governor has done a skillful job of balancing public health, freedom, and the lives and livelihoods of his fellow Wyomingites. In an unprecedented global crisis that impacted our daily lives, I’m grateful we have Governor Gordon. I humbly ask you to join me in supporting Mark."

Foster Friess, who died in May 2021, previously ran against Gordon, coming in second place in the 2018 primary, just above Harriet Hageman, and donated $2,500 to Gordon's campaign in October 2018.

According to campaign filings, Lynn Friess has currently not donated any money to Gordon's campaign.

The last donation she made was with her husband in 2020 for Clarence Styvar, a Wyoming House member for District 12, for $1,500.

Along with Friess's statement, Gordon said:

"I learned a lot from Foster, and Lynn and I are still good friends and fellow travelers in the effort to ensure Wyoming stays on the path to a prosperous future," said Gordon. "I speak often with Lynn on issues affecting our state and the best way to move forward. She and Foster were generous to a fault and I am thankful Lynn has kept very active carrying on the work they began years ago.  Lynn’s support is humbling and means a great deal to Jennie and me. I will work hard to live up to the confidence she has expressed in me."

In the Republican primary, Gordon is facing off against Rex Rammell, Brent Bien, and James Quick.

Rammell lost in 2020 in the Republican primary for the Wyoming Senate in District 14 against Fred Baldwin, he lost in 2018 in the governor's race to Gordon while running for the Constitution party, and lost in 2016 in the Republican House primary to Liz Cheney.

Bien, who has not run for office previously, served in the military and retired as a Marine Corps Colonel.

Quick, who has also not previously run for office, was honorably discharged from the military after four years, and has been working in the mining industry since leaving the military in 1987.

While there has been polling done in the Republican primary for Wyoming's lone seat in the House, there hasn't yet been any polling done in the primary for governor.