Cheyenne House Rep Leaves Freedom Caucus, Says It's To Emphasize Independence

One of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ most outspoken members has left the group, he told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday.

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is a group of socially conservative Republican lawmakers in the state House of Representatives. 

Its supporters cast it as the true voice of the state’s political right, while its detractors cast it as a source of clumsy legislation fueled by groupthink.

Though he left the caucus last month, Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, said he bears it no malice and hopes for no bad blood. For the libertarian-leaning, technology-savvy Republican, his departure is more about confirming that he acts independently in the Legislature, he said.

“I need to be accountable, individually, for each vote that I cast – and my ability to interact with anyone as it pertains to the business of House District 61,” said Singh, who noted that the caucus invited him to join during his first term, which began in early 2023, and he accepted.

He said he wanted to be aligned with "the most conservative people in the room," and he still believes the group bears a conservative mission that is good for Wyoming. 

Singh said the caucus, despite multiple allegations that it dictates votes to its members, never pressured him to vote against his conscience; and no one ever texted him and told him how to vote.

“If anything they encouraged me to grow and learn more about the different communities and the information. And if anything, they told me to pray about (the issues), and to seek the Lord,” said Singh, who is also an avowed Christian. “And I’m so glad that I did.”

He said the media landscape toward the caucus is generally “hostile,” and many people – including in his district – have the idea the group mandates groupthink.

Though he rebuts that impression, Singh said he wants to leave his constituents with no doubt of his independence.  

“When ‘Daniel Singh’ says something – and I’ve even done this with you – (I’ve had) to distinguish, like, I’m not talking for the Freedom Caucus,” Singh said. “I shouldn’t have to do that. And if I have to do that enough that I’m always saying it, then, what am I doing? Being part of a messaging bloc, right?”

Singh’s departure leaves a tally of 34 Republican House members who either say they’re not Freedom Caucus members or who have been previously identified as not being members.

The House also contains six Democrats, 16 confirmed Freedom Caucus members, three Republicans who have given inconclusive answers as to their membership, and three who didn’t respond to Cowboy State Daily’s survey on the matter. 

Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, delivered the following text-message response Saturday, to Cowboy State Daily’s voicemail request for comment:

“I don’t discuss internal caucus matters with the press.”

Policy Differences

Singh acknowledged that he has some policy differences from the Freedom Caucus majority.

For example, Singh voted against a proposed 2025 ban on lab-grown meats, while numerous Freedom Caucus members voted for it. The state Senate later killed that bill.

“While I don’t want some sort of industry to hurt our existing industries, I also wouldn’t want to use the government to ban some sort of technology preemptively, and try to impose in that way,” said Singh. “I believe in free markets, right? And sometimes there may be a conservative majority that wants to ban something like that – and I just wouldn’t hop on board.

Still, Singh spoke highly of two Freedom Caucus leaders in particular: Rodriguez-Williams and former caucus chair Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette.

Rodriguez-Williams is courageous, ferocious, and “super reflective” of Wyoming, he said.

Bear is “a navigator and a planner – and he has a plan. And I’ve seen him under pressure keeping his cool when he knew the knives were going to be out against him.”

The Media

Singh’s theory for why the media is “hostile” to the caucus in his view is based on what he called a disconnect between the average Wyoming news consumer and the traditional paper outlets.

State “subsidies” or required government payouts for public notices in local print newspapers, help to insulate the papers against that disconnect with their consumers, he said.

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.