Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Barbara Cubin has won a substantial but not overwhelming victory over her primary challenger Bill Winney, a retired Navy officer, for the state’s only U.S. House seat. Cubin is leading 42,908 – 60% to Winney's 28,274 – 40% with 91% of the precincts reporting. Cubin lost only two of Wyoming’s 23 counties, Laramie (Cheyenne - the state capital) and Teton (the wealthy ski resort of Jackson Hole) which was the only Wyoming county to support John Kerry.

Winney ran on his experience as a nuclear submarine commander as well as serving in key positions in the Pentagon before retiring to Wyoming in 2002. He especially stressed his opposition to wasteful spending in Congress and the mounting national debtt. Cubin pointed to her record on strong border security, tax relief, health care, energy independence and fighting methamphetamine drug abuse. She also cited her strong pro-gun rights record and her co-sponsorship of legislation to ban partial-birth abortions.

The winner of the primary race faces Democrat Gary Trauner, a Wilson businessman who slightly out raised Cubin in campaign donations in the last quarter, which ended in July. However, Cubin has an overall lead in total fundraising and was leading 54%-32% over Trauner in a Mason-Dixon poll taken earlier this year.

In 2004, Cubin won 55% of the vote against four candidates in the GOP primary and then went on to defeat Democrat Ted Ladd 55%-42% in the November election.