Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn (/ˈlʌmɪs/LUH-miss;^[1] born September 10, 1954) is an American attorney and politician serving as thejuniorUnited States senator fromWyoming since 2021. A member of theRepublican Party, Lummis served as the U.S. representative forWyoming's at-large congressional district from 2009 to 2017. She served in theWyoming House of Representatives from 1979 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1993, in theWyoming Senate from 1993 to 1995, and as the Wyoming State Treasurer from 1999 to 2007.

Cynthia Lummis
Official portrait, 2020
United States Senator fromWyoming
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2021 Serving withJohn Barrasso
Preceded by	Mike Enzi
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWyoming'sat-large district
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Barbara Cubin
Succeeded by	Liz Cheney
27thTreasurer of Wyoming
In office January 4, 1999 – January 9, 2007
Governor	Jim Geringer Dave Freudenthal
Preceded by	Stan Smith
Succeeded by	Joseph Meyer
Member of theWyoming Senate from the5th district
In office January 14, 1993 – January 10, 1995
Preceded by	Harriet Elizabeth Byrd
Succeeded by	Don Lawler
Member of theWyoming House of Representatives from theLaramie County district
In office January 7, 1985 – January 14, 1993
In office January 8, 1979 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by	Multi-member district
Succeeded by	District abolished
Personal details
Born	Cynthia Marie Lummis (1954-09-10)September 10, 1954 (age 70) Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alvin Wiederspahn ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 2014)​
Children	1
Education	University of Wyoming (BS,JD)
Signature
Website	Senate Website
Cynthia Lummis's voice Cynthia Lummis speaks in support of theRespect for Marriage Act Recorded November 29, 2022

Lummis was electedtreasurer of Wyoming in 1998 and reelected without opposition in 2002. She managed the gubernatorial campaigns ofMary Mead in1990 and Ray Hunkins in2006. She also served onBob Dole's presidential steering committee in Wyoming and chairedMitt Romney's2012 presidential campaign in Wyoming.

Lummis unsuccessfully sought to be appointed to replace SenatorCraig L. Thomas in 2007. She was elected to succeedBarbara Cubin in the U.S. House of Representatives in the2008 election, defeating Democratic nomineeGary Trauner. During her tenure in the House, she was the first Wyoming representative to serve on theAgriculture Committee since 1941, chaired theScience Subcommittee on Energy, co-chaired theCongressional Caucus for Women's Issues, and was active in theCongressional Western Caucus andFreedom Caucus. She served until her retirement in 2017, and was succeeded byLiz Cheney. After her tenure in the House, Lummis sought a position in PresidentDonald Trump'scabinet asSecretary of the Interior, but was not appointed. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in the2020 election, becoming the first woman to represent Wyoming in the Senate. She voted toreject the certification of Pennsylvania's electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election, which werenarrowly won by Joe Biden.

Cynthia Marie Lummis was born on September 10, 1954, inCheyenne, Wyoming, to Doran Lummis and Enid Bennett. She is descended from German immigrants; her family first came to Wyoming in 1868. Her father chaired theLaramie County Republican Party and served on the county board of commissioners. Her brother Del Lummis also chaired the Laramie County Republican Party.^[2][3][4][5]

Lummis attendedCheyenne East High School, and graduated from theUniversity of Wyoming with aBachelor of Science degree in animal science in 1976 and a Bachelor of Science in biology in 1978.^[6][7][8] She graduated from the University of Wyoming with aJuris Doctor in 1985, and was on thedean's list.^[9][10] She worked as astudent teacher at Rock River School in 1977.^[11]

In 1978, Lummis was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives at age 24, the youngest woman to serve in the state legislature.^[12][13] She was reelected in 1980, but chose to not seek reelection in 1982.^[14][15] Lummis returned to the state house after winning the 1984 election.^[16][17] She filed to run for reelection on June 19, 1986, and was reelected after placing third out of 18 candidates.^[18][19][20] She was reelected in the 1988 and 1990 elections.^[21][22] She was reapportioned to the 8th district in 1992.^[23]

In 1990, when Republican SenatorDan Sullivan resigned from theWyoming Senate, Senate Majority LeaderDiemer True stated that Lummis was qualified to replace Sullivan in the state senate. But she could not take the position, as she was busy serving as a campaign manager in the gubernatorial election.^[24] In 1992, Lummis ran for a seat in the Wyoming Senate from the5th district, defeating Norman P. Feagler for the Republican nomination, and incumbent Democratic SenatorHarriet Elizabeth Byrd in the general election.^[25][26][27] During the campaign Lummis spent $11,661, making her the fifth-highest spending elected candidate in the 1992 election.^[28] On June 8, 1994, she announced that she would not run for reelection, saying she had other commitments to her family. Republican nomineeDon Lawler was elected to succeed her, defeating Democratic nomineeSteve Freudenthal.^[29][30]

During Lummis's tenure in the state house, she chaired the Revenue committee and served on the Judiciary and Agriculture Committees.^[31][12][32] During her tenure in the state senate she served on the Judiciary Committee.^[33] After leaving the state legislature, she was appointed toJim Geringer's gubernatorial transition team, and served as his general counsel until 1997.^[34][35][36] Geringer appointed Lummis to serve as interim director of the Office of State Lands and Investments in 1997, after he fired Jim Magagna.^[37]

On February 28, 1982, Lummis was injured in a car accident while her husband was driving.^[38] She attended theNational Conference of State Legislatures national conference in 1982, alongside Senate PresidentDonald Cundall and Representatives Wiederspahn,Peg Shreve,Scott Ratliff,William A. Cross, andGeorge Salisbury.^[39] In a 1982 roll-call vote in favor of legislation about the treatment of non-resident traffic offenders, a man cast Lummis's vote while she was outside the room. Lummis changed the vote to a nay after coming back in. RepresentativeKen Burns said the incident showed why electronic voting was needed.^[40]

During the1988 Republican presidential primaries, Lummis served onBob Dole's steering committee in Wyoming.^[41] A 1989 survey of the financial contributors of theWyoming Republican Party showed that Lummis was suggested as a candidate forSecretary of State of Wyoming.^[42] She served as Republican candidateMary Mead's campaign manager during the1990 gubernatorial election.^[43]

On November 17, 1996, incumbent TreasurerStan Smith announced that he would not seek reelection to a fifth term in 1998. It was speculated that Lummis would replace him.^[44] At the Laramie County Republican convention on March 28, 1998, she announced that she would run for treasurer, and formally announced her campaign on April 20, at a press conference alongside Smith.^[45][46]

During the campaign, theAttorney General ruled that public funds could not be used to send state treasurer candidates to an investment seminar.^[47] Lummis won the Republican nomination without opposition and defeated Democratic nominee Charyl Loveridge andLibertarian nominee James Blomquist.^[48][49]

Lummis was considered as a possible candidate for the Republican nomination in the2002 gubernatorial election, but declined to run.^[50][51] She announced on April 30 that she would seek reelection as treasurer, and was reelected without opposition in 2002.^[52][53][54] Lummis was the only statewide candidate to face no opposition in the 2002 election, as nobody had filed to run in the Democratic primary and no other candidate received the 25 write-in votes required to qualify for the nomination.^[55][56] During the campaign she had raised $9,275 and spent $12,151.^[57]

She was limited to two terms as treasurer and did not challenge the constitutionality of the legislation, despite theWyoming Supreme Court having invalidated term limits on state legislators.^[58] She endorsed former SpeakerFred Parady to succeed her as treasurer in the 2006 election, butJoseph Meyer won the Republican primary and the general election.^[59][60][61]

Lummis conducted an accounting change by raising the interest rate on the $100 million in Wyoming banks, which reduced Wyoming's expected budget deficit in 1999 by over $5 million.^[62] She also planned a 1% increase on the interest yield of Wyoming's $2.6 billion permanent fund, which would raise $26 million per year.^[63] She served on the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners alongside Governor Geringer, Secretary of State Meyer, AuditorMax Maxfield, and superintendent of public instructionJudy Catchpole.^[64][65] During her tenure, the Permanent Mineral Trust Fund rose to over $2 billion for the first time.^[66]

In April 2001, Lummis announced a conflict of interest involving her role as treasurer of the Arp and Hammond Hardware Company, which she claimed had existed since December 2000. A different document indicated that it had actually existed since April 2000, but Lummis insisted that the second form was in error.^[67] She and other Republican statewide officials were accused of trying to expand their powers at the expense of GovernorDave Freudenthal, but denied the claims.^[68] Lummis claimed that she was the person responsible for the increase in Wyoming's investments during her tenure as treasurer, but Freudenthal said that no one person could take credit for the increase.^[69]

As a member of the Wyoming Canvassing Board, Lummis voted unanimously alongside the three other members against a recall of the ballots cast inNatrona County during the2002 United States House of Representatives election. Even though the results in Natrona County could not overturn the statewide results, they would determine which county was placed first on the ballot. Lummis initially supported a recount, but changed her mind after Mary Ann Collins, the Natrona County Clerk, told her that all of the ballots had been counted.^[70]

Lummis and all other statewide officials in Wyoming attended thefirst inauguration of George W. Bush. During the2004 presidential election, she served as one of Wyoming's 28 delegates to theRepublican National Convention. Lummis was the only statewide official from Wyoming to attend Bush'ssecond inauguration.^[71][72] She served as the chair of Ray Hunkins's campaign during the2006 gubernatorial election.^[73]

RepresentativeBarbara Cubin, whom Lummis had supported during the1994 election, announced that she would not run for reelection in the2008 election.^[74][75] On January 2, 2008, Lummis announced that she would run for Cubin's seat, winning the Republican nomination againstMark Gordon,Bill Winney, and Michael Holland, having challenged them to debates held in all 23 Wyoming counties during the primaries.^[76][77][78] A poll conducted from January 18 to 21 showed that Lummis had a favorability rating of 29%, an unfavorability rating of 17%, and a neutral rating of 24%; 30% did not recognize her.^[79] Tucker Fagan, who later served as herchief of staff, served as Lummis's campaign manager. During the campaign Rachael Seidenschnur, her press secretary, resigned after using a fake name to ask Lummis's opponent a question.^[80][81][82] She defeated Democratic nomineeGary Trauner in the general election.^[83] During the campaign Lummis raised $1,557,313 and spent $1,543,875 while Trauner raised $1,672,707 and spent $1,716,013.^[84][85]

Lummis was reelected in2010 against Democratic nominee David Wendt and Libertarian nominee John V. Love, after having raised $780,426 and spending $754,270 compared to Wendt, who had raised $65,709 and spent $68,523^{[86][87][88][89]} On May 12, 2012, Lummis announced that she would run for reelection. She was reelected in the2012 election over Democratic nominee Chris Henrichsen after having raised $715,314 and spent $631,026.^{[90][91][92][93]} She was reelected in the2014 election against Democratic nomineeRichard Grayson, after having raised $432,666 and spent $300,949.^[94][95][96]

On November 12, 2015, Lummis announced that she would not seek reelection in the2016 election.Liz Cheney was elected to succeed her.^[97][98] Lummis's daughter, Annaliese Wiederspahn, served asLeland Christensen's campaign manager during the Republican primary.^[99] Lummis considered running for the Republican nomination in the2018 gubernatorial election, but declined to run, instead endorsing Sam Galeotos.^[100][101] She sought a position in PresidentDonald Trump'scabinet by attempting to replaceRyan Zinke asUnited States Secretary of the Interior, butDavid Bernhardt was appointed instead.^[102][103]

During Lummis's tenure in the House, she served on theAgriculture andAppropriations Committees and on theEnergy and Mineral Resources,National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, andEnergy and Water Development Subcommittees. She was the first representative from Wyoming to serve on the Agriculture Committee sinceFrank O. Horton, who served on the committee from 1939 to 1941.^{[104][105][106][107]} In 2011, she was appointed vice chair of theAppropriations Subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee.^[108] Lummis left the Appropriations Committee in 2013, saying she had requested her removal from the committee and that it was not part of a purge of radical Republicans from committee positions.^[109] She was appointed chair of theScience Subcommittee on Energy in 2013.^[110]

Lummis served as the communications chair and spokesperson of theCongressional Western Caucus and succeededDean Heller as vice chair in 2011 following Heller's appointment to the United States Senate.^{[111][112][113]} Lummis was elected to serve on theHouse Republican Steering Committee in 2010.^[106] She was at one point the only female member of theFreedom Caucus and the last until the election ofDebbie Lesko.^[114][115] Lummis co-chaired theCongressional Caucus for Women's Issues alongside RepresentativeGwen Moore from 2011 to 2013.^[116] She was also a member of theTea Party Caucus.^[117]

Lummis supported SpeakerJohn Boehner while theFreedom Caucus successfully pushed to remove Boehner.^[118] She praised theelection ofPaul Ryan asSpeaker, saying, "we have ushered in thoughtful, conservative leadership, restored member-driven policy-making to the legislative process and returned regular order that will bring sunshine to back rooms making government work better".^[119]

Lummis served on theRepublican whip team until she was removed from the position in 2015, for voting against giving PresidentBarack Obama the authority to propose atrade agreement with Pacific countries. She said she knew she would be removed from her position on the whip team for her vote but did not regret it. RepresentativesSteve Pearce andTrent Franks were also removed from the whip team for their votes.^[120]

During the2008 presidential election, Lummis was supposed to give a speech at theRepublican National Convention on the first day, but her speech was canceled due toHurricane Gustav.^[121] During the2012 Republican presidential primaries she endorsedMitt Romney and served as the chair of Romney's campaign in Wyoming.^[122][123] During the2016 Republican presidential primaries, she was a campaign surrogate forRand Paul, and later endorsed Trump in thepresidential election.^[124][125]

After SenatorCraig L. Thomas died on June 4, 2007, Lummis announced on June 12 that she would seek an appointment to replace him.^[126] She placed third in the final vote, making her one of the nominees submitted to the governor as a candidate for appointment, alongsideJohn Barrasso andTom Sansonetti.^[127][128] Freudenthal selected Barrasso to replace Thomas.^[129] Lummis was speculated as a possible candidate in the2014 United States Senate election.^[130]

On June 20, 2019, Lummis filed to run for a seat in theUnited States Senate to succeed retiring SenatorMike Enzi.^[131] She won the Republican nomination and defeated Democratic nomineeMerav Ben-David in the general election.^[132][133] Her victory made her the first woman to represent Wyoming in the United States Senate.^[134] She raised more during the campaign than all of her Republican and Democratic opponents combined.^[135] During the campaign Lummis raised $3,003,788 and spent $3,037,813 while Ben-David raised $559,626 and spent $545,348.^[136][137]

Lummis has announced she is running for reelection to a second Senate term.^[138]

During her tenure in the Senate, Lummis has served on theBanking, Housing, and Urban Affairs,Environment and Public Works, andCommerce, Science, and Transportation committees.^[139]Hans Hunt, a member of the Wyoming state House, resigned so that he could work as Lummis's agriculture and trade policy adviser.^[140]

During the counting of theelectoral college vote of the2020 presidential election Lummis voted to certify the results fromArizona, but against certifying the results fromPennsylvania.^[141][142] She voted to acquit Trump during hissecond impeachment trial.^[143]

Lummis voted against theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021 but for thePPP Extension Act and theCOVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.^{[144][145][146]}

In July 2024, Lummis introduced legislation to create a "strategic Bitcoin reserve", which would entail that the Treasury and the Federal Reserve would buy five percent of the global supply ofBitcoin, which it would subsequently hold.^[147][148]

Lummis purchased Bitcoin in 2013 on her son-in-law's advice and became the first U.S. senator to owncryptocurrency.^[149] Her enthusiasm for the technology led to her being known as Congress's "Crypto Queen".^[150] Lummis owned at least $230,000 worth of Bitcoin in 2021.^[151] In October 2021,CNBC reported that she had violated theStop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to disclose within 45 days a purchase of Bitcoin she made in August 2021 worth between $50,001 and $100,000.^[152]

Lummis supported thefederal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but said the government should avoid bailing out private companies.^[153] She supported theprivatization ofSocial Security, raising the age at which people received Social Security money, and making theBush tax cuts permanent.^{[154][155][156]} She voted against theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.^[157]

In 2010, the House voted 228 to 192, with Lummis in favor, to prohibit federal funding forNPR.^[158] She said that House Democrats had a "cocaine-like addiction" to spending.^[159] Lummis voted against theHurricane Sandy relief bill, saying that although victims ofHurricane Sandy deserved the money the federal government should cut its budget to offset the cost of the legislation.^[160]

Lummis has campaigned for a regulatory framework fordigital assets, a stance she reiterated after theFTX exchange collapsed.^[161][162]

Lummis was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.^[163]

In a 2012 campaign debate, Lummis rejected thescientific consensus on climate change, claiming thatclimate change was "not settled science".^[110] She supports the development ofnuclear power andoil drilling in Alaska.^[164]

In 1979, Lummis said that it was "important to me to seeEqual Rights Amendment not rescinded".^[12] In 2015, she and RepresentativeCarolyn Maloney led another effort to pass the ERA.^[165] In 2013, the House voted 286 to 138, with Lummis against, to reauthorize theViolence Against Women Act.^[166] She and SenatorChris Van Hollen attempted to have a federal building in Cheyenne named afterLouisa Swain, the first woman to vote in the United States.^[167]

Lummis voted against theMatthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, named afterMatthew Shepard, a murder victim who was gay, stating that she believed that hate crime legislation was "a state's rights issue".^[168][169] She voted against therepeal ofdon't ask, don't tell and co-sponsored theState Marriage Defense Act.^[170] Following the Supreme Court ruling inObergefell v. Hodges, which foundsame-sex marriage bans unconstitutional, Lummis supported theFirst Amendment Defense Act to protect religious groups that opposed gay marriage.^[171] She opposes same-sex marriage and believes that it "should be left to the states".^[172] She was given a zero percent rating from theHuman Rights Campaign during her entire tenure in the House of Representatives.^{[173][174][175][176]} She was one of 12 Republicans to vote to advance theRespect for Marriage Act, legislation that codifies same-sex marriage rights into federal law.^[177] On November 29, 2022, Lummis voted for the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.^{[178][179][180]} Explaining her decision, reversing her prior opposition to federal same-sex marriage recognition, she said she was "guided by two things—the Wyoming Constitution and ensuring religious liberties for all citizens and faith-based organizations were protected."^[181][182]

Lummis supported continuing the United States'occupation ofIraq, holding that soldiers should not be withdrawn until GeneralDavid Petraeus said it was time to leave. She supported thesurge of soldiers inIraq.^[183] Lummis was one of four Republicans on the Agriculture Committee to vote in favor of legislation that would have lifted thetravel ban on Americans and agricultural products to and fromCuba.^[184] Lummis opposedAmerican involvement in theSyrian civil war, stating that the civil war "should be dealt with by the Arab world" and that she did not see how "getting involved in another open-ended and costly conflict is in the best interest of America".^[185][186]

Lummis received an "A" rating and endorsement from theNRA Political Victory Fund during the 2008 campaign.^[187][188] In 2009, the House voted 279 to 147, with Lummis in favor, to allow people to bring loaded guns into national parks and wildlife refuges.^[189]

Lummis supported the creation of federal legislation to allow private insurance companies to form interstate insurance pools.^[190] She voted against passage of theAffordable Care Act in 2009,^[191] and has supported subsequent efforts to defund the ACA.^[192]

Lummis and 182 other Republican members of Congress filed anamicus brief asking theSupreme Court to halt aCOVID-19 vaccination mandate for companies with 100 or more employees.^[193] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she opposed adding unruly passengers to the "no-fly" list, saying that unruly passengers who refuse to comply withmask requirements are not the same as terrorists.^[194]

Lummis co-sponsored legislation in the state house to allow state Medicaid funding to be used for abortions when the mother's life was at risk.^[195] The Wyoming "Right to Choose" political action committee reported that Lummis was pro-choice after she completed a questionnaire during the 1990 election and the organization endorsed her during the 1992 election.^[196][197] Lummis said in the 1990s that abortion was a sin, but that it should not be illegal, because people can better evaluate their circumstances than the state.^[198]

In 2015, Lummis cosponsored and voted for legislation in the House to defundPlanned Parenthood.^[199] TheNational Right to Life Committee endorsed her in the 2020 election and gave her a 100% anti-abortion rating during her tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. She supported thePain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.^[200] Lummis was given a 0% rating byNARAL Pro-Choice America in 2016.^[201]

Lummis metAlvin Wiederspahn while both were campaigning during the 1978 election; they married on May 28, 1983. Both later served in theWyoming House of Representatives, one of the few married couples to do so, though Lummis is aRepublican and Wiederspahn was aDemocrat.^{[202][203][204]} She remained married to Wiederspahn, with whom she had one child, until his death on October 24, 2014.^[205]

Lummis has a net worth of $12.26 million as of 2015, but reported a net worth between $20 million and $75 million from 2007 to 2008.^[206][207] She is aLutheran and adheres to theLutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS).^[208]

• Women in the United States House of Representatives
• Women in the United States Senate

• Biography at theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at theFederal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at theLibrary of Congress
• Profile atVote Smart
• 2008 campaign website
• Cynthis M. Lummis papers at theAmerican Heritage Center
• Appearances onC-SPAN