Hageman is looking to close the financial gap with Cheney, who at the end of September had more than $ 3.6 million in his campaign account. Cheney saw her fundraising numbers increase this year, as she called attention to her criticisms of former President Donald Trump, including his January vote to impeach him, and his role as foreground within the House committee investigating the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill.
Hageman, who received Trump’s approval, saying he had about $ 245,000 in the bank at the end of September, after launching his campaign a few weeks earlier.
Thiel, a Trump ally who has met the former president several times this year, sees the overthrow of Cheney as a priority, according to those familiar with his thinking. While Thiel’s interest in defeating the MP is in part due to his attacks on the former president, libertarian-minded Thiel’s relatives say this also reflects his distaste for Cheney’s hawkish views on defense and foreign policy.
The tech entrepreneur has already donated the maximum allowable amount of $ 5,800 to Hageman’s campaign. Thiel also donated to Washington State Republican Joe Kent, another Trump-backed candidate running against GOP Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, who, like Cheney, backed Trump’s impeachment for his role in the siege of the Capitol on January 6.
Thiel became one of the Republican Party’s biggest donors in 2021, with both ballot and future presidential candidates keen to woo him. He made a pair of record $ 10 million super PAC contributions supporting two proteges who are running for the Senate, the Arizona Republican Blake Masters and the Ohio Republican JD Vance.
The January 26 fundraising invitation for Hageman’s campaign also lists several other top national GOP donors, including businessman Marc Goldman and gasoline manager Max Alvarez. Those familiar with Hageman’s campaign say most of the funds she raised this year came from Wyoming.
