U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi scores easy GOP primary win in Wyoming

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – What had been shaping up as one of this year’s most bitterly contested primaries came and went with barely a ripple on Tuesday as Wyoming U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi soundly beat four little-known Republican challengers in his pursuit of a fourth term.

Last summer, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s elder daughter, Liz Cheney, launched what widely was expected to be a formidable primary challenge for Enzi, a fellow Republican.

Ultimately, Cheney found little mainstream support in the sparsely populated state. She dropped out in January, citing family health issues.

All of Enzi’s remaining challengers since Cheney had virtually zero name recognition. They included retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryan Miller, of Sheridan, a self-employed business consultant and a former advance agent who helped plan visits around the country and abroad by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Enzi will face Charlie Hardy, a 75-year-old former Roman Catholic priest from Cheyenne, in the November election.