Leo Wolfson
Leo Wolfson is the State Government and Politics Reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Cheyenne. He is responsible for covering Wyoming politics on a federal and statewide level.
Leo led Cowboy State Daily's coverage of the 2022 Wyoming primary election, including the highly contentious race between former congresswoman Liz Cheney and her successor U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman. He also managed CSD's coverage of the 2023 State Legislature, which was by far the most extensive and timely media coverage of a legislative session in the state's history.
Before joining Cowboy State Daily, Leo was a general assignment reporter for the Cody Enterprise Newspaper in Cody from 2018-2022. Prior to that, he reported for a suburban newspaper outside Denver.
Latest from Leo Wolfson
Former Cheyenne Democrat Takes On Three-Time Incumbent In Republican Primary
Cheyenne resident Thomas Lear was a registered Democrat in Wyoming as recently as February, but now he’s a Republican running against three-time incumbent Clarence Styvar for House District 12.
Leo WolfsonJune 07, 2024
Reid Rasner Tells Hageman To Cease And Desist Her Demand That He Cease And Desist
Long shot U.S. Senate candidate Reid Rasner has responded to Harriet Hageman’s demand he cease and desist using her image on social media by telling her to cease and desist her demands. The Hageman campaign said he's not a serious candidate.
Leo WolfsonJune 06, 2024
Move To Wyoming And Then Instantly Run For Legislature Is A Real Trend
Pamela Mertens moved to Wyoming in August 2023 from Florida and now she's running for House District 56. Tom Olmstead is running for Senate District 20 after moving from Colorado three years ago. They aren't anomalies. It's a trend.
Leo WolfsonJune 06, 2024
Chuck Gray Tells County Clerks They Can’t Offer Ballot Drop Boxes, Clerks Disagree
Wyoming county clerks on Wednesday said they don't have to follow Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s directive to quit using ballot boxes, despite Gray saying they're illegal.
Leo WolfsonJune 06, 2024
Campbell County Schools Propose 1-Year Sports Sit-Out For Transfer Students
The Campbell County School District is considering a proposal that would give it the toughest public school transfer policy in the state — a 1-year ban on varsity sports participation for transfer students.
Leo WolfsonJune 05, 2024
Cheyenne House Race A Tale Of Three Very Different Wyoming Republicans
The Wyoming House District 8 race features three very different Republicans: Incumbent Dave Zwonitzer, a Freedom Caucus supporter who calls Zwonitzer a “RINO” and a 22-year-old newcomer to Wyoming who has been here for 18 months.
Leo WolfsonJune 05, 2024
Wyoming Delegation Says Biden’s Border Order A Desperate ‘Election Year Stunt’
President Joe Biden’s aggressive executive order Tuesday clamping down on the southern U.S. border has angered congress across the board — Democrats and Republicans. Wyoming’s delegation says Biden “panicked” by making an “election year stunt.”
Leo WolfsonJune 04, 2024
New Law Would Allow Deadly Force By Wyoming National Guard In Some Cases
Wyoming legislators were asked during a Tuesday committee meeting to consider closing a legal loophole that allows some Wyoming National Guard members to be prosecuted for using deadly force while protecting certain military assets.
Leo WolfsonJune 04, 2024
Wyoming Property Tax Refund Hits Record But Still Not Enough Relief, Some Say
An expanded property tax refund program where eligible homeowners could receive back as much as 75% of their previous year’s tax bill led to record participation, but many legislators say it’s not enough relief.
Leo WolfsonJune 04, 2024
Legislature Still Wants EVs To Pay Their Way, Resurrects Charging Tax
Saying electric and hybrid vehicles need to pay their own way for the wear and tear they put on Wyoming roads, legislators are resurrecting a bill to tax fast-charging stations.
Leo WolfsonJune 03, 2024
Cheyenne’s Battling Republican Cousins Meet In Round 2 For Wyoming House Seat
One of the most intriguing Wyoming Legislature races this summer will be for House District 44 in Cheyenne, where two cousins run against each other again, along with another former state legislator.
Leo WolfsonJune 03, 2024
Wyoming Democrats Nervous About ‘Threat’ From ‘Dangerous’ Freedom Caucus
At its state convention Saturday, the Wyoming Democratic Party called the Freedom Caucus a “threat” to Wyoming and a “dangerous” far right group that needs to be reined in.
Leo WolfsonJune 01, 2024
Wyoming’s Primary Election Is Set: 167 Candidates In 72 Contested Races
With the 5 p.m. Friday deadline for filing to run in the August primary election in. Wyoming past, the field is set: 167 candidates in 72 contested races.
Leo WolfsonJune 01, 2024
Removal Of Casper Doc From Medical Board Stokes Freedom Caucus Outrage
News of a Casper doctor being forced from the Wyoming Board of Medicine because of his views on transgender treatments for minors has outraged the Freedom Caucus. But a former board member says the group’s anger is hypocritical.
Leo WolfsonMay 31, 2024
Former Libertarian Runs As Republican To Win Back Wyoming House Seat
Marshall Burt, a Libertarian who was the first third-party candidate to be elected to the Wyoming Legislature in more than a century before being ousted from the House in 2022 is now running as a Republican to win back the seat.
Leo WolfsonMay 31, 2024
Lower Wyoming Property Taxes Could Mean Higher Sales Tax, Removing Exemptions
A Wyoming legislative committee is studying how the state can maintain its current services while lowering property taxes. The reality is, that might not be able to happen without also raising sales tax rates and/or removing exemptions.
Leo WolfsonMay 31, 2024
44,000 Signatures Turned In To Put 50% Property Tax Cut On Wyoming Ballot
A monthslong effort to gather signatures to put a ballot initiative on the Wyoming ballot came to a head Thursday with 44,650 signatures turned in to the Secretary of State’s office. If successful, it would cut residential property taxes by 50%.
Leo WolfsonMay 31, 2024
Wyoming Delegation & Governor Blast Trump Conviction
Wyoming’s congressional delegation and Gov. Mark Gordon blasted the conviction of former President Donald Trump on Thursday. Rep. Harriet Hageman said the court case was a "desperate gasp to win a presidential election that they will ultimately lose."
Leo WolfsonMay 30, 2024
Wyoming Medical Society Criticizes Ousted Doctor For 'Misleading' Emails
In the wake of the news that Gov. Gordon ousted a doctor from the Board of Medicine for his vocal support of a ban on trans treatment of minors, the Wyoming Medical Society said the claim the group has been overtaken by "extremely liberal" members is not true.
Leo WolfsonMay 30, 2024
Conservative Firebrand Bouchard Won’t Run For Reelection To Wyoming Senate
Conservative firebrand state Sen. Anthony Bouchard of Cheyenne won’t run for reelection to the Wyoming Senate, but there’s a crowd of candidates who want his seat.
Leo WolfsonMay 30, 2024
Ballooning Property Valuations, Tax Bills Not Unique To Wyoming
Ballooning property taxes and how to mitigate them has dominated discussion in the Wyoming Legislature in recent years, and it’s not unique to Wyoming, as Cowboy State property tax bills are reflecting larger trends in the West and United States.
Leo WolfsonMay 29, 2024