Less than three weeks before Wyoming primary voters decide the fate of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the outlook is not promising for the three-term Republican and co-chair of House Jan. 6 Select Committee.
A just-completed Mason Dixon poll showed, among likely voters in the Republican primary, Cheney trails Trump-endorsed challenger and former Republican National Committeewoman Harriet Hageman by a stunning margin of 52%-30%.
Cheney's underdog status comes despite her $10 million campaign war chest — a record amount for any House Member or candidate — and daily television exposure from the hearings of the Jan. 6 panel.
Obviously aware the hearings amplifying her animosity toward Donald Trump are not helping among fellow Republicans, Cheney recently began to reach out to Democrats to rescue her.
"How do I change my party affiliation to register as a Republican so I can vote for Liz?" reads a recent mass mailing from Cheney to Cowboy State Democrats.
Under state election law, voters can change their party registration at the polls or when they request an absentee ballots.
"I have been trying for years to get the legislature to ban party switching at the election, but they won't do it," Jack Mueller of Laramie County, a former national chairman of the Young Republicans, told Newsmax. "Democrats have had a great time screwing around in Republican primaries. They used to [be], into the early voting where I worked, bragging about what they were doing.
"After switching parties and voting the Republican ballot, many would change right back."
Mueller believes "they could make a difference" in his county. "He recalled how in 2010, crossover Democrats voted for former Gov. Matt Mead and were pivotal to him edging out State Auditor Rita Meyer (who had the endorsement of Sarah Palin) by less than 600 votes.
"That made a difference," Mueller said. "Other times they have just been an irritation."
What impact the crossovers have in the Cheney-Hageman primary is unclear.
"There are 198,000 registered Republican voters in the state and 45,000 registered Democrats," former state Republican Chairman Tom Sansonetti said.
"Liz needs 14,000-18,000 Democrats to cross over to make up the difference."
He added, "the lower number is doable. The higher number is not."
A year ago, Cheney announced she would not pursue crossover Democrats in the primary. Now, she is actively doing just that. In addition, she recently voted for Biden-supported gun control legislation that could help win over some Democrats.
Mueller believes otherwise. In his words, "it should hurt her significantly."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.