Who is Rep. Steve Johnson?
Rep. Steve Johnson
House District 8 (Cheyenne)
Freedom Caucus Member
Representative Steve Johnson is a Freedom Caucus member who represents House District 8 in Cheyenne. He was endorsed by the Freedom Caucus PAC in 2024.
In the 2026 primary, Rep. Johnson is running for re-election against Luke Reiner, a former commander of the Wyoming Military Department.
By the numbers
During the Legislature’s 2025 general session, Rep. Johnson voted for all 28 of the Freedom Caucus priority bills. He voted along with Freedom Caucus chair Rachel Rodriguez-Williams 93% of the time on bills tracked in Better Wyoming’s 2025 Grassroots Accountability Report.
In the 2026 budget session, Rep. Johnson voted for all 10 of the Freedom Caucus’ priority bills. He voted along with Freedom Caucus chair Rachel Rodriguez-Williams 95% of the time on bills tracked in Better Wyoming’s 2026 Grassroots Accountability Report.
Votes against state workers
Rep. Johnson’s district is home to hundreds of state workers and their families.
When the 2026 budget session began, it had been more than four years since these workers had received a cost-of-living pay, even as inflation has caused prices on groceries, gas, housing and many everyday items to soar during that time.
A budget amendment was brought to increase state employee pay to the 2024—not 2026—pay level, to provide some meager relief.
Rep. Johnson voted against this amendment and his own constituents’ ability to afford the basics. Thankfully, the measure passed by one vote without him.
Votes against healthcare
Wyoming has some of the highest healthcare costs in the nation. Many families are uninsured and don’t have access to basic or preventative care.
During the 2026 budget session, amendments were proposed to the budget to increase funding for core healthcare programs that Wyoming residents and communities lack.
Rep. Johnson voted against all of these proposals, including funding to improve access to maternal healthcare for pregnant moms, funding for senior healthcare including long-term assisted living, and mental health and suicide prevention.
Many of these amendments passed, and Wyoming will see a gradual improvement to its healthcare access, no thanks to Rep. Johnson or the Freedom Caucus.
Votes to starve hungry schoolchildren
Rep. Johnson has voted repeatedly to reject funding meant to feed hungry schoolchildren who don’t have access to school lunch during the summer months.
The Freedom Caucus has successfully killed two bills, in 2025 and 2026, to fund a “SUN Bucks” program in Wyoming that provides free lunch to children from qualifying families while school is out.
Fortunately, Gov. Mark Gordon has stepped up to help and has implemented a program out of his own office to do the task the Freedom Caucus refused.
SUN Bucks will help feed nearly 40,000 needy Wyoming children this summer, no thanks to Rep. Johnson.
Votes against public land access
A court ruling in Wyoming gave hunters a legal right to cross from one piece of public land to another over a “corner” that also touches private land.
Being able to do so opens up tremendous opportunities for Wyoming residents to hunt and fish on public land.
But because court cases can be overturned on a dime and people could lose access, lawmakers brought forward a bill in 2026 to codify corner crossing into law. This would clarify what can and can’t be done and eliminate confusion for hunters and landowners alike.
Rep. Johnson voted against this bill, opposing hunters’ ability to access public land that they—along with all other Americans—own.