State Freedom Caucuses Work To Make Red States Great Again

DALLAS, Texas — A common misconception throughout modern American politics is that, because a state is run by Republicans, it’s automatically conservative. But as has been shown time and time again, that could not be further from the truth.

From the high peaks of Wyoming to the sandy shores of South Carolina, elected Republicans in many of the country’s supposedly “reddest” states routinely work against the interests of their own voters. Whether it be on redistricting or immigration, the establishment’s preference for the status quo is almost universally the same.

But rather than simply complain about the problem, the State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN) is seeking to do something about it. Spanning 15 states and a growing number of state lawmakers, the organization and its members gathered in Dallas over the weekend for its third annual summit to strategize on how best to advance a true “America First” agenda for conservatives.

Several of the network’s members who spoke with The Federalist discussed the necessity of these freedom caucuses in spotlighting and combatting the “swamps” in America’s state capitals. While detailing the highs and lows of the past year, they also signaled what the future may hold for the network’s expansion in other states throughout the country.

“The biggest deceit in state politics is these red states where the voters are conservative, but the members of the legislature are not, and it’s for the very simple fact that I say over and over again, which is a Democrat knows he can’t get elected in a red state, so he puts an R after his name, gets elected, and then he governs like a Democrat,” SFCN President Andy Roth told The Federalist.

The Good

In order to map out a successful strategy for the coming legislative year, the SFCN had to conduct an analysis of its most recent work to see what went right and what didn’t.

Starting with the positives, Louisiana and Missouri’s freedom caucuses passed various measures cracking down on foreign influences in their respective states. The latter’s freedom caucus members also helped the Show Me State implement significant cuts to government spending.

In South Dakota, freedom caucus members helped lead the charge to pass the state’s version of the SAVE America Act, which requires documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. While speaking to The Federalist, the bill’s sponsor, South Dakota Freedom Caucus Vice Chair and State Rep. John Carley, noted the irony of U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s home state approving a version of the legislation that he and his Republican colleagues have continuously failed to pass.

It “was a good success not only for our state, but then it motivates both the federal [Congress] and other states to do the same,” Carley said.

One of those states was Arizona, where freedom caucus lawmakers successfully placed a version of the SAVE America Act on the state’s fall ballot in the form of a constitutional amendment proposal.

Election integrity was also one of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ legislative achievements throughout the past year. Since attaining an outright majority in the state House, the Cowboy State’s caucus members approved laws invalidating out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to illegal aliens, cracking down on non-English speaking commercial truck drivers, expanding school choice, and more.

Freedom caucus lawmakers even saw some success in Democrat-dominated states like Illinois.

State Rep. Brad Halbrook described the key role the Illinois Freedom Caucus played in stopping passage of an anti-homeschooling bill last year despite being a minority within the minority party. As The Federalist previously reported, critics argued that the controversial legislation — which generated major protests at the Illinois Capitol — attempted to “criminalize parents’ ability to homeschool their children in the Prairie State.”

“I think it helps us to have a platform, a kind of a lane to run in, if you will. We stay fairly united on our messaging and our votes … [and] I think it helps lead other members of the Republican caucus along … to move the conservative agenda forward,” Halbrook told The Federalist.

The Bad

This year hasn’t been without its downsides, however.

While set to grow their team’s ranks in the state House after the 2026 primaries, Montana Freedom Caucus members Jerry Schillinger (state representative and MTFC chair) and Bob Phelan (state senator and MTFC secretary) noted the immense difficulty of getting meaningful conservative priorities through the legislature’s most recent session. Both lawmakers pointed to a cabal of nine state Republican senators who colluded with Democrats to instead pass items such as “progressive” property tax reform. The Montana GOP formally censured the “Nasty Nine” over such antics last year.

“A tremendous frustration among conservatives [has been] that we were always the majority of the caucus in the legislature, but we could never really push the conservative agenda because of Democrats posing as Republicans — people [who] knew they couldn’t win as a Democrat in their district, so they run as Republicans,” Schillinger told The Federalist.

In South Dakota, the Republican-controlled legislature successfully grew government spending despite protests from the state freedom caucus.

On the redistricting front, the Missouri Supreme Court recently nuked the state freedom caucus and Co.’s efforts to use a more GOP-friendly map for the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, the Maryland Freedom Caucus’ legal bid to stop a Democrat-backed redistricting amendment from appearing on the fall ballot was effectively shot down by the state Supreme Court.

The SFCN’s biggest defeat, however, came in Wyoming, where the state freedom caucus suffered heavy losses in the 2026 primaries. The drubbing came amid reports of GOP establishment officials seemingly encouraging Democrats to vote in Republican primaries and heavy spending by liberal interests against freedom caucus candidates.

“What happened in 2026 is the left took over the narrative through the media in Wyoming and through messaging through several different left-leaning organizations to energize a group of voters that dislike the conservatism of the freedom caucus,” Wyoming Freedom Caucus member and State Rep. John Bear told The Federalist.

Spending by left-wing interests against freedom caucus candidates has also been reported in this year’s GOP primaries for Texas attorney general, the South Carolina U.S. Senate runoff, and a Tennessee U.S. House seat.

The Future

Looking ahead, Roth acknowledged the uphill battle state freedom caucuses face in combatting the influx of outside money and unfavorable media that attempt to “control the narrative” in primaries. Given these headwinds, he said, it will be imperative for the SFCN’s members to “talk directly to the voters” and “build an army of grassroots supporters” necessary to overcome those hurdles.

In the short term, the organization seems poised to elevate their current members — including those running for higher office — in the upcoming midterm elections. Notable races involving freedom caucus candidates will take place in Alabama (U.S. Senate), Arizona (governor and secretary of state), Florida (governor), and Wyoming (U.S. House).

In closing his remarks, Roth left the door open for additional state freedom caucuses in states like Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee, and Maine. More to the point, however, he reaffirmed that the purpose in even considering such possibilities rests on the network’s foundational role in exposing the establishment corruption plaguing state governments across America.

“Most people, when they turn on their TV or open their phone, the first thing they see is Congress or Trump or the war in Ukraine or Iran. The state politics are able to operate in the dark, and shining a light on that is arguably one of the most important parts of my job,” Roth said.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood